


Not Just a Fiction

by Phoebe0901_0915



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Alpha - Freeform, Carzekiel, Character Death, F/M, Issues, Original Character(s), S9E15, Separations, Spoilers, The Hilltop (Walking Dead), The Kingdom (Walking Dead), The Pikes - Freeform, The Walking Dead s9, Unplanned Pregnancy, background Bethyl, carzekiel baby
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-10
Updated: 2019-12-08
Packaged: 2021-01-26 21:31:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 43,724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21380899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phoebe0901_0915/pseuds/Phoebe0901_0915
Summary: Carol's mystery illness isn't the only cause for concern ; the pipes threaten to blow at any minute and there is a new threat that takes away something that can never be reclaimed.Any relationships other than Carol and Ezekiel are either just implied or in the backgroundSpoilers for TWD S9 E15 'The calm before'Sort of accurate timeline-all the major events still happen but they're not in the same timeframe. The effects are still the same, and let's just ignore THAT scene in S9 E16.
Relationships: Daryl Dixon & Beth Greene, Daryl Dixon/Beth Greene, Ezekiel & Carol Peletier, Ezekiel/Carol Peletier
Comments: 22
Kudos: 16





	1. Five Years Today

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is my first work that anyone is seeing but I thought why not? Just for a bit of fun.  
Carzekiel was meant to be. They deserved better in S9

"What's all this for?"

When Jerry had rushed to her saying that Ezekiel needed her urgently in the throne room, the panic took no time in consuming every fibre of her being. Her pace quickened but she refrained from running. The last thing the people of The Kingdom needed was to worry about their safety after witnessing their Queen run through the streets like a mad woman. That is, until she saw Ezekiel.

He stood outside the theatre turned throne room waiting for her, and by the way he was pacing and with the look on his face he was nervous, but not for a reason that was likely to get them killed. Forgetting all Kingdom formalities and her own personal distain of public displays of affection, she ran into him, burying her head into his chest. She was just happy knowing that he was safe and there was nothing to worry about.

Maybe.

After steadying himself from her sudden attack he produced a blindfold from his back pocket. Her confusion rose tenfold, especially when he refused to give up any details, but after almost five years of marriage she had learnt to trust him, even if sometimes his ideas were completely insane.

He placed the blindfold around her eyes, but never tied it, instead choosing to hold in in place. She knew he was aware of her fear of small spaces, but was amazed that he able to understand her to the point where he knew something as small as a blindfold could make her uncomfortable at the least. It was just one of the many things that made her love him a little more each day.

Ezekiel led her into the throne room. She trusted the way he guided her down the stairs, careful to make sure that she wouldn't trip and hurt herself. When the blindfold fell from her eyes she could see that the room had been transformed since earlier that morning when they were attending to their usual duties. There were candles everywhere and on the stage she could see that a picnic had been set up for them. Then, as if that wasn't enough, in order to complete the night one of the films that The Kingdom held so dear had been set up and was ready for them to watch.

Carol couldn't help but smile as she turned around to look at her husband, though he did nothing to ease her confusion. Taking her hand in his, he led her over to the blanket on the stage which is where they sat now.

"What's all this for?"

"You seem surprised My Queen"

"I am. Very, very surprised. And very, very confused"

"As you know, Jerry and I keep track of the days-"

"Oh Zeke, it's not is it?"

"It is"

"I'm so sorry. I don't have anything for you"

"That's alright. Simply knowing that My Queen has been by my side, officially anyhow, for five years today is enough. Now, if she really wants to give me something she will let me take care of her for it has been a strenuous day and even the strongest of warriors need a break"

She knew that Ezekiel and Jerry kept track of the days. Why she did not know, but they did all the same. Despite this being their fifth anniversary she still found it amazing that he intended to celebrate it with her, but she couldn't deny the way her heart swelled with the loved and adoration she felt for him. Carol didn't even realise that a tear was making its way down her cheek until she felt the warmth from Ezekiel's finger brushing it away, a worried and crestfallen look on his face. They had celebrated their anniversary before, but this time was bigger than the previous four combined. Before it was just a small gesture, but this year he had planned a whole night.

"I'm sorry if I have done something to upset you My Love. I knew this was too much"

"No...No. This is amazing, and you certainly haven't done anything wrong. Quite the opposite. I just...I'm still not used to this and I didn't even know it was our anniversary. It was a welcome shock after a long day"

Ezekiel knew everything about her past with Ed, even things she never thought she could share, and as such had done everything in his power to correct what he had done. Carol had no doubt that he would still have lavished her with gift upon gift even if she hadn't been with Ed, but somehow knowing that he wanted to set her past right made her even happier.

With the knowledge that he hadn't done anything wrong, he pulled her in close and planted a soft kiss on her forehead before setting up the film they had found on one of his side missions. They seemed to have used a lot of supplies for this one night, but for once Carol couldn't care less about using them for things that not everyone saw as vital. She was happy and in love.

"Don't bother doing that. We both know we won't watch it, and unless we magically recreate _everything_ from how the world was, we won't get it back once it's gone. I thank you though. It was the perfect way to tie the whole thing together. How did you find all this?"

"A king never shares his secrets, not with his good lady wife"

Carol narrowed her eyes at him and Ezekiel could feel her elbow dig itself into his ribs, but her smile very much matched his.

As suggested by Carol, Ezekiel didn't bother setting up the film. They wouldn't have paid it any attention, and this way there would be no background noise to their conversation. It could just be them.

They swapped between feeding themselves and feeding each other, until a flash of remembrance ran across Ezekiel's face and he stood up, disappearing behind the grand curtain from when the room was still used as a theatre and still chewing on the slice of apple Carol had given him.

"Where are you going?"

There was silence and she could only imagine the look on his face as he prepared whatever he had for her, hurriedly trying to swallow the fruit so he could answer her.

"Do you really think you would be leaving our fifth anniversary without anything to show of it?"

"There's something else?"

"Of course. It arrived from Hilltop this morning when you were patrolling. Are your eyes closed?"

"Yes"

He peeked out from behind the curtain to see her still staring at the place he stood. Damn he knew her too well. Ezekiel cocked his eyebrow and let out a sigh of defeat, a smile reappearing on her face as she closed her eyes, just like he wanted.

There was the noise of him moving something heavy to a desired place. He went behind her in the general area of his throne, and she shivered as the cool air shifted around her from his movements.

"Ok, now you can open them!"

When she opened her eyes and turned to him, she could see that beside his throne now stood one of her own. She had never asked for one, in fact she had never even thought of it, but now as she looked upon it she kicked herself for it not occurring to her sooner.

Standing up, she brushed the remainder of the juices on her hands on her covered thigh. She made her way over to the throne slowly, each step echoing throughout the great hall. Ezekiel held his breath as her finger traced the flowers that had been carved into the dark, elegant wood.

"You like it?"

"I love it", she said, her voice nothing more than a breathy whisper that sent his heart racing a million miles an hour. "It's beautiful. But how?"

"They have a highly skilled carpenter at Hilltop, and when I dropped Henry off I asked if she could fulfil the order. She was more than happy to help. Now look on the seat"

"Chocolate. You really are the best husband a girl could wish for"

"And what about a Queen? Am I good enough for her?"

"We'll see"

With the throne still separating their bodies, she knelt on the cushioned seat and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him close. Their kiss started off tender and loving, but like many times it soon developed into something more desperate, something deeper that left them both gasping for air.

"Should we go upstairs?"

"Why bother My King? We have a blanket right over there that is much closer. And if that's too far away we have two perfectly good thrones right beneath us"

He was clearly shocked at her suggestion, but he should have learnt by now to never underestimate his wife's never ending ability to amaze him.

"Well?" she said, moving her hand further down him and slipping it into his pants he hadn't even realised she had undone. He wrapped her hand round him, feeling that he was already hard and eagerly awaiting more of her touch.

"I'll take that as a yes"

She pushed him on to the blanket, removing her shirt before straddling his still covered thighs, re joining their lips in the passionate desire and pure animal want that took over them.

By the time they left the throne room, something they begrudgingly did figuring that it wouldn't be the best if The Kingdom's people found them on the stage, the sun was starting to rise. Ezekiel's arms went round her waist and she rested against him, just happy for it to the two of them before The Kingdom rose and another full day of work would begin.

"This has been more than I could ever have expected and easily one of the best nights ever. So good I do believe I will wake up back in the prison for it just doesn't feel real. Thank you"

"It was my pleasure My Queen. I love you and love it even more when you allow me to spoil you. Though I can assure you that this is all real. If it isn't my heart would rip in two knowing what I could have had but never got"

"And just when I thought I couldn't love you anymore, here we are"

"Does that mean The Queen deems me good enough?"

"Always. Now let's go upstairs before the people wake"

"Good idea. We will need as much sleep as possible for the day ahead. We have to start preparing for The Kingdom while figuring out how we will cope with pipes until we can get help"

"Who said anything about sleep?"

As she slipped her hand into his and guided him up to their room, he shook his head in disbelief. Apparently he could continue to underestimate her ability to completely amaze him.


	2. You Only Congratulate Good Things

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ezekiel becomes worried about his Queen's welfare, but she's pretty sure she knows what's wrong.
> 
> There is roughly a one month time gap between the two chapters, which will be the time frame left between each one from now on unless it says otherwise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I'm going to see if uploading a chapter a day will work, but to be honest it just depends on how much school work I get given and how much free time I have.  
I would also like to say thank you to all of you who read the previous chapter, whether you gave it a kudos or not. I wasn't sure how this was going to go but it fills me with confidence knowing that at least a few people like it!

"I have to go to Hilltop. I promised I would help after Maggie left, and now with Jesus...well I doubt Tara needs my help but after something like this...I have to go Zeke. Trust me"

"Carol, it is not a question of trust", he said, standing up from the bed and placing his hands on her shoulders, momentarily stopping her from packing for the next day. She stood up and looked him in the eyes. He was more worried about her than he had ever been before. She wrapped her arms round his waist and pulled him close, burying her head in to his chest and listening to the beating of his heart.

"My Love", he continued. "I trust you more than most in this world, for others' safety and yours. You know that. But even some things are out of your control. This bug came just under a little a month ago and shows no sign of going away, I don't want you to get hurt"

Though she kept her arms wrapped round his waist, she pulled back her head to look directly at him. She went to protest once more before he placed his finger on her lips and rested his forehead against hers.

"Just promise me that you will go to the doctor while you're over there. Enid has become a very capable doctor and they are the best equipped community. They may have a chance of diagnosing you"

His voice was nothing more than a whisper, as if anything louder would cause her pain, but when she spoke she found that her voice was very much the same. She nodded her head against his, the simple motion that caused almost all of the nerves in him to calm down.

"Fine. I'll go. And don't worry. I'll be back before the week is out, back with my husband, who will hopefully have calmed down by then"

"That, milady, is a promise he is not willing to make for he know he will not be able to keep it. Not until he has his wife safe in his arms once more, hopefully an action that will proceed some light being shed on this illness"

She kissed him before leaving his side to clamber in to bed.

As with all trips taken to Hilltop, Carol rose with the sun in order to give herself enough time to get ready and get to Hilltop while still leaving enough of the day to start work the moment she got there. Ever since the walkers made their appearance she had gotten used to the early mornings and found it no more difficult to get up at that time than to wake up mid afternoon. However, this morning, like every morning lately, she felt the exhaustion trying to take over her body once more.

Until the sickness hit. That could make her move quicker than anything else could in this world.

After fighting with the covers and dashing out of the room, Carol could hear Ezekiel shift in the bed. As expected, when she walked back into their bedroom feeling utterly drained, he was no longer in his comfortable position. Instead Ezekiel was sat up against the headboard, bare chested and a look of concern spread across his face.

"Again?"

She nodded as she tried to supress another bout of the sickness. It didn't work and before she knew it she was rushing back out the room, Ezekiel following.

As Carol leant against the toilet bowl she felt Ezekiel's presence come closer, and soon enough he was rubbing her back to let her know he was there for her, as well as relaxing her ever so slightly. She leant back into his touch and somehow she ended up lying with her head on his lap, knees pulled up as she lay on the floor. She closed her eyes to try and dull the pounding that had also decided to greet her this morning but when she opened them she was greeted by his deep chocolate ones, a welcome site despite the worried look he held in them.

She could feel him playing with her hair but for once it seemed to do nothing to calm either of them.

"Don't look at me like that. I'm going to Hilltop where they can tell us what's wrong", though we don't need a doctors confirmation, she thought."I'm fine. Please don't worry"

"That is not a simple request My Queen. I love you too much not to"

"I love you too. But I'll be fine, I promise. I'll be back before the week is out, safe and back with you"

"As you keep reminding me"

Carol could tell by the look on his face that he was keeping something from her, though she couldn't judge. She was just as bad. She was just lucky that she could keep secrets, unlike her husband who could never hide anything from her.

"Why are you looking at me like that? What have you done?"

"I hope you don't mind, but I have requested that Jerry accompany you. I would go myself but I need to stay here"

He was worried about her reaction, she could see it in his face, the way he held himself and the way he broke the eye contact they had held throughout the conversation. Carol had to admit that she was a little annoyed, but the overwhelming feeling of being loved overruled it.

"Why?"

"You are not mad?"

"No. Curious as to why though"

He let out a very audible sigh of relief knowing that she wasn't upset with him going behind her back, so was ever more willing to explain the reasons behind it.

"You must know that it is a question of trust. It never will be. Instead one of how this illness effects you and how well you could cope with it, out there and alone. It you were to have a turn like the other day-"

"Zeke...", she interrupted hoping to stop the tears she could see forming in his eyes at the thought of what could happen. It didn't work and he continued anyway, needing more than wanting to finish his train of thought.

"I could never forgive myself"

He was referring to the turn she had experienced only a week ago.

Some people had been questioning the safety of the walls, and when Carol stood up from her throne to inspect the walls herself, her entire world had spun. Ezekiel had dismissed the people as she gripped on to his arm, not even trusting her ability to move without passing out enough to sit back down.

It was natural for him to be worried about that happening whilst she was out there alone, and if she was being honest she was a little scared too. She just didn't want to admit it so much that she didn't ask for help.

Carol sat up and knelt, now secure in the knowledge that she could move without having to lunge for the toilet bowl once more. Facing Ezekiel she cupped his cheek in her hand. He lent into her touch, pressing a soft kiss to the palm of her hand before resuming the original position. The worry Ezekiel's eyes held as he looked down at Carol killed her, but at least now she understood the true extent of how he felt. The tear track was still visible down his cheek and she placed a kiss there before continuing, her voice much quieter than it had been before. It was the tone of voice one would very much use to calm a crying child, a tone that she hadn't used since Lizzie and Mika back at the prison. But motherly instinct and all that.

"I doubt that will happen again, but the truth is I'm glad you asked Jerry to come with me. I was just too stubborn to ask myself"

"How can you be so sure it won't happen again?"

She bit her cheek, debating whether or not to tell him. She decided against telling him the whole truth, but he would need to know something otherwise he wouldn't stop mulling over it while she was away, and she couldn't do that to him.

"I think I have an idea as to what it is. Maybe. But I'm mostly wrong. God knows I hope I am, but before you ask anything just know you won't have any inkling as to what it is until I come back"

"If that is what you feel is best My Love I will not push. But you should start getting ready. You're late as it is and we don't want Hilltop thinking the royal family do not care about business"

They both managed to smirk a little at his words and his tone, and by the time she left it was almost as if his mind had finally been put to rest. Anyone around them would have thought so anyway for he showed no physical signs of being anxious.

Carol knew better, but yet again so did he.

Helping Tara over the next five days was the easy part. It was what Carol knew how to do: to lead, to protect and to console. All of it came naturally to her, just like passing it on to others did. Even seeing a new threat approach the gates of Hilltop only made her slightly uncomfortable.

Going to Enid was the hard part.

The morning of the appointment she wore one of Ezekiel's shirts to try and make it as easy as possible to walk through the doors, one step closer to getting her worse fears confirmed. Carol wished more than anything that Ezekiel could be there to calm her as she paced her room, or reassure her when her heart beat faster with every step she took towards the infirmary.

But he wasn't and she would have to do it by herself. As strong as she was, as strong as everyone knew her to be, she knew her strength had its limits, the infirmary being one of them.

She tried to hide her fear but apparently she failed miserably. Jerry, Tara and Henry all tried to question her about it, but they found themselves none the wiser than when they first attempted to question the cause of the fear. No way was she going to tell them, not even Henry.

Hilltop's infirmary was possibly the closest they would ever get to a hospital in this new world. It was small, yes, but it was well equipped and even had a small waiting room to accommodate around five people, though it was rare that many people would be needed to be seen at the same time. The waiting room was gratefully welcomed by Carol who couldn't trust her legs not to give out from beneath her. She was even more grateful that she was alone. Though of course she couldn't be that lucky for long.

A young mother came in with her baby who must have only been a year old. The woman greeted Carol as 'Your majesty' while the child knew nothing of her Kingdom title and treated her as any other. It attempted to reach over and play with her but she found that, in attempting to amuse the child and join in with the play, the bile rose once more. Carol leant her head against the wall, for once not caring about keeping up appearances, and couldn't be more relieved when Enid opened the door and invited her in.

Though Carol did feel bad that the first thing she did once the door was closed and locked was empty the contents of her stomach into a bucket on the floor, it couldn't be helped and if anything she was becoming increasingly fed up with not being able to keep anything down. She wiped the back of her hand across her mouth before standing up straight again, thankful that, for once, she wasn't met with a look of worry.

"Sorry" she said, feeling slightly ashamed at how pathetic she must look.

"That's fine. It's what it's there for, though usually not this early on", Enid replied, making a hint of a smile appear on Carol's face at the young woman's mischievous grin from the knowledge that she could tease her while getting away with it. "It's not pretty, but it's necessary. So, that's the illness then?"

"What?"

"You really think Ezekiel hasn't spoken to me about it? He was worried about you on his visit last week and came to me, which is when I suggested that you come to me instead"

Of course Ezekiel would have told her. It made her happy to know that he had gone to Enid himself in the hope that he could have spared her the trip, letting her know just how much he really understood her.

"Anyone else know?"

"Not that I know of. Shall we begin? I have questions and tests to do, though from what he described I think I know what it is"

"That makes two of us. And that'll be the reason for the grin then?"

Ever since Enid had laid eyes on Carol, her eyes had sparkled and her grin had never faltered, not even when she subjected the bucket to the worst of her sickness. Thinking about it now, it was most likely the reason for her not to look at Carol with worry and a slight fear stemming from uncertainty.

"You know?"

She raised an eyebrow at Enid who in turn took a small intake of breath, remembering something from long ago and slightly regretting the question, kicking herself for being so inconsiderate. For the first time her smile faltered and her face traded its cheery look for one with a more solemn, mature tone to it. When she spoke it was much quieter than before, almost as if she was speaking about something that pained her deeply, something that had left an unfillable gap in her heart. In all fairness it most likely was.

"I remember...Carl told me"

Carol reached over and gave Enid's shoulder a small squeeze to let her know she was there for her, to let her know she recognised the pain. After a short moment of silence between the pair Enid lead Carol over to where she needed to be and started conducting the many tests Carol was all too familiar with. Seeing that she was worried, Enid started to talk to her about everything and anything, though the breath caught in her throat with the question Carol asked, not that she wasn't expecting it to come up.

She wouldn't have usually asked it, but Carol just couldn't get it out of her head that Carl had spoken to Enid about Sophia. It wasn't so much why, but as to when. She wanted to know more of the relationship between the two, who were just teens when Carl was taken from them.

"When did Carl tell you about her?"

"I'm not sure, not exactly. The day seems so insignificant to what happened, but that and the conversation are the only vivid things I can remember. It was a month or so before the incident"

"What happened on that day?"

Her face flushed red. Carol knew fully well what had taken place by Enid's face, but it had been so long since she had spoken to someone in this way she didn't care. She even managed to laugh at Enid's reaction and the clumsiness that set in by embarrassment, but at least it was taking her mind off of what was happening.

They continued the tests and the questions until they were done. Carol perched on the edge of the table, the severity of the situation not completely taken place in her mind just yet. It had been chased away by her conversation with Enid and was in no hurry to come back, not yet anyway.

Enid left the room and Carol couldn't help shouting after her.

"You never answered my question you know"

"What question?"

"You know which one"

She could practically see Enid's face as she tried to conjure up an answer, but nothing could have prepared her for the reply that would cause her face to burn, her body to shake with laughter accompanied by the joyful tear, quickly followed by her mind remembering what she was about to be told, the tears holding a new meaning.

"Well, let's put it this way" she began, poking her head round the door. She wanted to see Carol's reaction, partly because she wouldn't know how she would react and partly because she knew exactly how she would. Either way she wasn't going to miss it. "That night, we did whatever you and Ezekiel did about a month ago to land you in here with me"

She ducked behind the door at the incoming pillow aimed skilfully at her head. It would have hit if it weren't for her reflexes but she was glad to hear laughter. She wasn't so glad to hear the silence that followed and to see the tears that Carol tried to wipe away as she walked back in.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that"

"No it's fine, it made me laugh and reminded me of what it felt like before all this, hell even before Ed when I was at university. Besides, it's not wrong. Though it wasn't just a month ago. We may be 'royal' but we're still human"

This time it was Enid's turn to blush as she smirked up at the young woman who was clearly taken aback by her statement, though the laughter soon followed from both of them. Carol didn't care if they were acting like naïve teenagers with nothing better to talk about, for sometimes just having conversations with no real purpose other than to relax and bond were needed just as much as the ones filled with tough decisions and ended in sleepless nights.

Eventually their laughter died out, the joyous atmosphere of before with it. Instead the air was filled with an unwanted uncertainty, mainly for the future but also for so many things. If Carol had to take a guess at all the issues she would face when the world ended, this wouldn't have even been on her list, though the ones that would have been held nothing to the fear this unforeseen dilemma presented.

It was Enid who broke the silence Carol didn't even realise was there. It was pretty hard to hear over her thoughts that were screaming in unison.

"I would say congratulations, but I'm sensing that's not the case"

Her voice was quiet, but it filled the room. It was filled with caring and understanding, a deep contrast to the bitterness that was evident in Carol's voice. To anyone who didn't know her it would appear that she was being unkind, but Enid knew better.

The harsh, snappy tone was a way to mask her fear.

"You only congratulate good things. Things that are wanted"

"That doesn't change anything. It's not like we can do anything about it, not without putting great risk to you. No doubt Ezekiel will be happy though"

Her last sentence held a forced cheery tone in an attempt to comfort Carol slightly, though Enid's efforts were in vain. Carol squeezed Enid's hand that had taken place on her shoulder, letting her know her effort was appreciated. She even managed to smile a little, but not because of what she had said.

As cruel as it may sound, Carol hadn't even thought about Ezekiel. Not since she found that she could seek comfort from the 'girl talk' she had shared with Enid, something that seemed so pointless yet so necessary in this world. She knew how he would react. Even Enid knew how he would react and she had only met him on a handful of occasions. No doubt even Judith would know how he would react, though Carol was unclear whether that brought comfort or dread to her beating heart that was threatening to rip her chest in two.

She took a deep breath before speaking, needing to ground herself and let the news truly sink in. It was one thing to suspect it, but to know it? That was a hundred times worse.

"He's going to love it, no doubt about it". By the hint of a smile she couldn't stop gracing her lips, the knowledge of how he would react brought comfort. Comfort she very much needed .

The smile left without a trace and she sighed in defeat, knowing that she couldn't do anything to change the situation she was in. Her hand subconsciously found its way to her stomach before she continued to speak softly, still adjusting to the new information that hadn't quite sunk in yet.

"He never said anything to me. Most likely didn't want to upset me, but I know. He's a lousy liar. You see the way he looks at the children playing, how he was with Benjamin, with Henry...he would have loved a child that was truly his. Not just adopted, but _truly _his. Well now...well now it looks like he's gotten his wish"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that in the show Enid and Carol aren't depicted to have a close relationship, and I didn't even plan it this way. I was just writing and thought it would suit the chapter well and lift some of the gloom that was present in the original.


	3. Finally Sunk In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ezekiel finds out the cause of the not so mystery illness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's looking less and less likely that this will be done in ten days because of school, so just bear with me and thank you for understanding.

The silence seemed to stretch out infinitely between them, and Carol was sure that someone would come knocking at any moment, either looking for their Queen or their doctor, curious at their sudden disappearance. As it was, they had only been in silence for around a minute but with the news that still hadn't sunk in, time had no meaning in her bubble of fear and confusion.

Carol surprised both of them by being the first to talk, though at first she didn't know whether the words would come or not. She was just happy that, for her sake and the bucket's, her food from earlier decided to stay down. Just.

"Please don't tell anyone else. Ezekiel needs to know, and we need to make sure nothing will go wrong. As sure as we can be anyway"

"That's fine. People will ask why The Queen was in here, but all they'll know is that you here on business, wanting to know how to improve The Kingdom's infirmary"

"Thanks. But don't call me that"

"What? Have I done something to offend Your Majesty?"

She shoved Enid lightly but was thankful to be in her company and was astonished that she managed to bring a smile back to her face. Yes, the problem was still there, but Enid had a magical way of allowing her to forget about it, even if it was just for a minute. The only other person Carol knew could do that for her was Ezekiel, but his powers far exceeded Enid's and often after talking to him, not only was she not thinking about it, but he problem had often dissipated completely.

"I need to go. Thank you"

"No problem. Now you need to hide those tears better or the lie won't work! The last time I checked, if someone was on business they don't go out of it crying"

Carol wiped away the remaining tears before hugging Enid. She didn't say much, but often what wasn't said was more powerful than anything spoken aloud. Enid had known what she had needed, and had provided it, making the day a little more bearable.

Carol had to admit that, while the problem still stood almost at the forefront of her mind, thinking about Ezekiel's reaction brought a slight spring to her step. Apparently his powers were so magical he didn't even need to be present for them to effect her.

There was no surprise to see Tara and Jerry waiting for her as she turned the corner. They were no doubt waiting for her to sneak out of the infirmary, so had decided to block her exit, forcing her to stay put.

"Is her Majesty alright?"

Tara made a face at Jerry as he called Carol 'her Majesty', one that was very similar to the one she had pulled for the first few years of being married to Ezekiel. It was only because Carol had to live with it everyday that she had gotten used to it, though she was thankful that her friends only ever used her Kingdom formality when in the presence of others or when they were teasing her. By the glint in Tara's eye she could tell this was one of those moments.

"Yeah, what did Enid have to say about our fragile Queen who has weakened after being lavished with gift upon gift from her people!"

Tara threw her arms in the air for dramatic flair, and even bowed to tease her further. Carol rolled her eyes, smiling along with her friend.

"I'm fine. Just a stomach bug, like we thought. I should be alright in a week or so. Is Henry back in his cell?"

"I'm afraid so. Sorry for that"

"Don't be. What he did was stupid and reckless and could have gotten someone killed. What he did the other day only added to his punishment. Keep him in there for as long as you see fit, but at a minimum of a week. And don't baby him"

"Sir yes sir" she replied, now saluting instead of bowing. She may have been mocking Carol's firm tone, but they both knew that she would keep her word.

"Jerry, I do believe that it is time for us to go"

"The Queen knows best"

Their bags were already packed, and their horses already saddled, so all they had to do was say goodbye and they were off within the space of ten minutes.

When they arrived back at The Kingdom, it was of no shock that the people were waiting for them, Ezekiel and Nabila at the front, huge smiles that threatened the wellbeing of their jaws.

The people had organised a celebration for the return of their Queen. It was the last thing Carol wanted, or needed, but she went along with it, even faking a smile. If Ezekiel had faked it for the many years before she met him, she could fake it for one night. Though trust him to know something was wrong.

It was not unusual to see the monarchs stood close to one another, despite Carol's distain for over the top public displays of affection. Ezekiel used this to his advantage and, seeing that she had obtained a moment of peace, joined her in the corner. He leant in close and reduced his voice to nothing more than a whisper, not wanting anyone to hear their conversation.

"I can tell there is something bothering you. I won't push you to tell me what it is, especially not now, but just know I'm here and I love you"

She laced her fingers with his and gave his hand a slight squeeze. He understood everything for more often than not they didn't need words to communicate. Ezekiel didn't say anything for the rest of the night, but he stood close. His presence was greatly welcomed and she wanted nothing more to lean into him, let herself be lost in one of the kisses where nothing exists but them, but she couldn't. She didn't know why, but she just couldn't. Not with everyone around them. Not with everything she was feeling. She couldn't kiss the father of her child when it still hadn't sunk in yet, not in her mind anyway.

Carol rushed upstairs the second Ezekiel announced that it was time for everyone to go home. By the time he joined her in their room she had changed into the shirt of his she had claimed to sleep in, basking in its scent. It still smelled like him, the man she had grown to love. That thought alone calmed her, but her mind wandered to thinking about their child and the calmness vanished.

Ezekiel remained at the doorway but outstretched his arms, letting her know that she could go to him. That wasn't an offer she was going to pass up. Not now, not ever. Finally, she let herself lean into him, drawing from his strength and the love that he held for her and only her.

"Carol, you know that if there's something you need to talk about, you can"

His King persona had been left in the hall along with the a few people who couldn't quite make it home, and that helped her to melt in to his arms even more. When it was just him, him being Ezekiel, rather than The King he had to be for their people she found it more comforting in a way, though she definitely loved both sides equally.

"I know. Just...just give me a minute"

"As you wish. In the meantime I though you could tell me about your time at Hilltop. We didn't get chance to talk with everyone around us"

Carol told him all about Henry, to which Ezekiel found himself joking that he was just an average boy who'd flown the nest and gone to university, leading him to go a little girl crazy. There was none of that at The Kingdom. Though his joking manner left when she explained the full extent of what he did, how he put people's lives in danger, and it was replaced with anger. Henry wouldn't hear the end of this.

He reminded her though that good did come out of this. They now knew more about this new threat, this Alpha and her people she called the whisperers. Otherwise they would have remained unknown and therefore more dangerous, which is what had gotten Jesus killed not yet a week ago.

"Everything was well then? All things considered with Henry, Lydia and Alpha"

"The appointment went fine Zeke"

"That isn't what I asked"

"I know what you're thinking. You've been thinking it ever since my return, I could see it in your face. You may not always realise it but I love you and know what you're thinking. Besides, you're a lousy liar and can't keep anything from me"

"You do not know me quite that well, otherwise you would have known that your return isn't what sparked my curiosity. I've been thinking about it all week. But now that you've seen right through me, would you mind telling me more? Did Enid find the cause of the illness?"

"Yes"

Carol moved over to the bed and sat on the edge, knowing that Ezekiel would have noticed the way her pulse raced and her muscles tensed. He didn't sit beside her but knelt in front of her, placing his hands on her knees. Carol's hands found their way to his and she eventually looked him in the eye, feeling ashamed of how she was reacting. She was being pathetic, but she knew he didn't see her that way. No, he saw the woman he loved fearing for their future which only made him do the same, despite not knowing what was the cause of this apprehension.

"What is it? You can tell me anything. But unless you do so, I cannot help"

"I know. Look in my pack, You'll find your answer"

"How will I know what I'm looking for?"

"Trust me. You'll know"

Before standing up to where her pack now lay, Ezekiel pressed a gentle kiss to the tip of her nose. Carol watched him walk over to her pack but turned away as he started to dig through it, instead choosing to focus on her breathing which now seemed overly loud in the silence of the room. Her hair fell in a curtain over her face, but unlike most times she chose not to move it for this way she could hide from the world, from the problem that grew within her.

Even though Carol had her eyes closed and her head turned away from Ezekiel, she still managed to pinpoint the exact moment he found what he was looking for; the ultrasound picture Enid had given her to bring home. The discovery was marked by a sharp intake of breath, followed by the return of the silence.

It was eventually broken by Ezekiel's footsteps making their way over to her, taking his previous position as he crouched down in front of her, hands on knees. Carol's hair was brushed lovingly out of her face by her husband and tucked behind her ear, which is when she opened her eyes. To the day she died she would never forget the sight that greeted her.

She saw her husband, the man that she loved, looking up at her, tears in his eyes and the biggest smile he could produce. He was more than just happy. He was proud, amazed, excited, and everything else. If it was a positive emotion, Ezekiel was feeling it, something he didn't try to hide. But the most apparent thing is the amount of love and adoration he held for her, the woman he loved and was now carrying their child. It took every ounce of self control he had not to place a hand on Carol's stomach, despite it still being as flat as ever.

The smile Ezekiel held caused one of her own to appear, which was not an uncommon occurrence. If he was happy, no matter what she felt, his happiness would spread to her too.

"My Queen I...I have no idea what to say"

Ezekiel brought his hand up, cupping her cheek and wiping away one of the tears that had fallen with his thumb. His touch was soft and caring and Carol couldn't help herself from leaning in to it more, wanting to be as close to him as possible.

"You don't have to. The look on your face says it all"

"I will never deny that this is one of the most joyous days of my life, however you also hold your emotions on a sleeve that only I can see. What's wrong?"

"We don't have the best supplies, and have you been outside the walls lately? And it's not like either of us are getting any younger. Even back before this happened, I still had complications"

To Carol her voice sounded uncertain, her argument weak. She had a hard time convincing herself that this was risky, let alone Ezekiel, and she couldn't ignore the way her heart fluttered as she though about the months ahead.

"I may be happy, but I am not stupid. Do you really think that all these concerns haven't greeted me as well? There has to be something more for I know my Queen, and I also know that they would not worry her so greatly unless there was something else to it"

Carol pulled away from his touch to think about it, trying not to notice the look Ezekiel sported at the thought that he had pushed too far. She desperately tried to come up with a reason her heart had previously been filled with dread and regret. Ezekiel could see it in her face, the way she was trying to think, and knew that he had said nothing wrong and hadn't pushed too far. It was an irrational fear for it had never occurred, but it was there all the same.

"Well My King, I do believe that there is nothing wrong. Nothing more than the practical side of it anyhow"

"I love you. And I already love her, despite only knowing her for a few moments. I'm glad that you have found a form of peace with the information, but I hope that you can find joy in it as well"

"I have found joy, thanks to you. And her? What makes you so sure?"

Ezekiel shrugged his shoulders, the smile still there. He really was magical. All the fear, all the dread, all the uncertainty. All of it. Gone. Because of him and his damn smile, his love for her and the way he was so sure things would run smoothly.

"And if I ever find that My Queen has any doubts, I hope she knows that Her King will protect her and their child at all costs. If it had to come to it, he would deliver their child himself"

"She greatly hopes that it doesn't come to that, but she thanks her King. He sounds very strong, and with strength comes muscles and one hell of an ass!"

"Carol!"

She liked the way the red came to his cheeks, and if it weren't for the emotional and physical exhaustion wracked her body the statement would definitely have turned into something more.

Carol slid under the covers first, and five minutes later she was followed by Ezekiel who was now bare chested, allowing her to feel the closest she could to him. She snuggled back into him, his arm lazily draping over her waist and lightly brushing her stomach. He was really lousy at hiding his intentions.

Despite the sleep trying to take over her body, she managed to stay awake a while longer to reassure him. Her voice was laced with exhaustion and she never opened her eyes, but she knew that Ezekiel could still hear the barely audible whispers.

"There's nothing there so I don't know why you'd bother, but you don't need to hesitate. I don't mind, but don't be surprised if I tense a little. I've never had anyone care before"

"That is a shame. I couldn't imagine not caring for your unborn child, and it pains a little knowing that you had to go through that. It's not fair"

"Nothing about Ed was fair. But he wasn't even a man, let alone a King, And, while I might not mind, just-"

"Not in public. No problem My Love. And I bother because I already feel proud and want to protect her"

Carol turned around so that they were now face to face, though Ezekiel's arm remained over her waist, his hand running up and down her spine. She placed a soft kiss to his lips before shuffling closer. His arms pulled her to him, securing her in her rightful place beside him and making it so that their child was between them, already knowing more protection and love than any other child Carol had carried.

Sleep claimed Carol quickly, but not before she could feel Ezekiel's hand take place on her stomach. It didn't have to be said that they both went to sleep with smiles on their faces and love running through their veins, though it wouldn't be true to label the love the main cause of Ezekiel's smile. It wasn't even the main cause of hers. The news had finally sunk in. She was going to have Ezekiel's child.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter took a massive turn to what I originally planned, but the original was just so gloomy. I decided that a scene like this should be more joyful rather than the issue of 'What if?'.  
As it turned out, I think this suited them more.


	4. Our Secret to Announce

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carol decides to surprise her King in a spur of the moment decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for not uploading, but like I said, as much as I enjoy doing this, school work will always be my priority. Thank you for being so patient!

Neither one knew who benefited from it more, but they had arranged for there to be monthly check ups at Hilltop to ensure that their baby was developing as it should be. Their final appointment until the eight month one would be at five months, but Carol decided to ignore that for now, for that was three months away. She didn't want to think about not having the reassurance that came from the appointments with Enid, for she could already tell that her mind would run wild and wreak havoc with her sanity. For once Ezekiel would have to be the one to ground her.

The check ups could have been done at The Kingdom, but at least at Hilltop they could keep their secret for a little longer, per Carol's request of course. Ezekiel didn't say anything and respected his wife's need for privacy, but at the same time he wouldn't deny the fact that he wanted to do nothing more than shout from the rooftops that his Queen was carrying his child.

So far they had attended two scans ; the first about a week after Ezekiel found out about 'their Princess', as he liked to call it despite them not yet knowing the gender, and the second a month following that one. They went as hoped. Their baby was healthy as far as Enid could see, if a little small, and was developing as expected for how far along Carol was, which was predicted to be around two months.

After each scan they always returned home happy and comforted, Ezekiel hiding a picture of the scan beneath his coat so that they wouldn't risk anyone seeing it and spilling their secret. Once they were in the safety of their own home, Carol would often find him tracing his finger softly over the area that Enid had pointed out to be their child. Sometimes she would watch him from afar, not quite believing that this man was real, was hers, and other times she would snuggle into his side, when his hand would move from the picture and to her stomach, no matter how little she was showing.

It didn't matter how much she enjoyed it when Ezekiel acknowledged her pregnancy when it was just the two of them, once they were in public it seemed as though Carol would completely push the pregnancy out of her head. She had even taken to wearing his shirts as soon as she started showing, though her own clothes weren't form fitted and would have hidden their child for at least another month or two.

"What are you doing My Love?"

She jumped at his voice.

Carol had been getting ready for bed when she had caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror, something she had successfully avoided doing up until now. She had never thought herself to be a slim person, another product of being with Ed, yet she had always seen herself on being on the slender side. Now there were definite signs of her pregnancy, something that brought both fear and excitement.

Her hips were wider and fuller, as were her breasts, and there was now a distinct bump. It could be concealed by both her and Ezekiel's shirts, due to their child being on the small side, but it was still there. When Carol noticed she had forgotten all about buttoning up Ezekiel's shirt she wore in bed, and had instead found herself enthralled by the swell, her fingers tracing light patterns over her skin.

So enthralled, in fact, that she hadn't even noticed Ezekiel enter the room, a great grin on his face.

"Nothing. I just, I don't know. This is the first time I've seen myself. _Really_ seen myself"

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

He was leaning against the door frame, his arms folded against his bare chest. Though Carol never turned round, she could see in the mirror the uncertainty in his eyes. For Ezekiel to be so unsure about something that it shone like a beacon from his eyes was rare, so rare that it took her a moment to detect what it was.

Carol took a moment to think. On the one hand, she had never been more scared. Not even when they first found out about it, but then again the bump wasn't the only thing to trigger the fear. However, on the other hand the excitement and love she felt surging through her veins was undeniable. Perhaps this is how Ezekiel felt every time he looked at her, which would certainly explain his never ending happiness.

She turned to face him, a grin similar to his previous one appearing on her face. Ezekiel held out his hand to her and Carol took it, being pulled into his warm embrace and melting into his arms.

"I'm glad. I was getting worried about you hiding her when we're in public. You don't even acknowledge her"

"I just don't want anything to go wrong, to then have everyone look at us with pity. Besides, your shirts comfort me somewhat" She took a deep breath before continuing, fighting back the tears that threatened to come. Ezekiel noticed for his grip on her tightened slightly. "It was always somewhere from the second month to the fifth that I would lose them. I wear your shirts and they reassure me that nothing will happen"

"Which is the truth. She'll be fine. We'll be fine"

"I wish you'd stop calling it 'she' ", she said, pulling back slightly to look into his eyes. Her tone and smirk told him she was joking, but even if they didn't, the way she reacted whenever he said 'she' told him that Carol loved the idea of a daughter just as much as he did, "What if it's a boy?"

"It won't be. I know my daughter, and I know she's a she. But even if she's not, she will still be greatly loved"

Ezekiel wiped away the remains of her tears and she leant into his touch, securing his palm against her cheek with her hand, before moving it to take his face in a similar way he had done with her. They just stood there for some time in silence. Sometimes it was good to take a minute to truly take in everything around them, to appreciate the life they were living, knowing it could be taken away at any minute. This appreciation was always surrounded by silence until one of them spoke for one reason or another, though it was usually Ezekiel who did such a thing. But this time it was Carol, who had been trying to think of something to do with the newfound excitement that filled her body after seeing her stomach. She thought she had such an idea that would just complete this completely fantasy filled life she was living, but she needed some confirmation that it was a good idea.

What she was looking for, she did not know, but she was looking all the same.

"Well, our maybe Princess would very much like to take a walk in the gardens with her father, if he would be happy to oblige"

"Anything for her", he replied, his smile growing before fading slightly as Carol wore his shirt once again to go outside.

Ezekiel tried to conceal it as much as possible, but she still noticed. Witnessing Ezekiel's reaction had set the cogs further in motion and gave her the confirmation she needed.

As they walked through the gardens, arms linked, Ezekiel could tell that his wife was thinking about something by the way her brow furrowed in concentration and she bit the inside of her cheek for the same reason. It was an expression he had become accustomed to, and knew that, with it's appearance, often came a great idea to top any of those thought up by the great minds that were taught about in schools, before the walkers made their appearance.

She stopped abruptly, jolting him back with the sudden nature of it. Carol guided him to an area where it hadn't received as much attention as the other patches of the garden, causing it to be slightly overgrown, though if he was being honest it was more beautiful than the entirety of The Kingdom. Although that could have been because before it stood his pregnant wife with a resolute look on her face, telling him that she had come to a conclusion. The sparkle in her eye told him that whatever this decision was, it would be greatly in his favour.

"Have you ever wondered why this area is more overgrown than the rest of it?"

"I had never noticed it until now, not really. It's sort of out of the way, in the corner. Hidden. It's clearly been designed this way though"

"That it has My King. Through my request of course"

"What? Why?"

She loosened her arm from his and walked tentatively towards the vines creeping up the side of the building. She followed the natural bends and twists with her fingers, a smile playing on her lips as she remembered that night. Back then, there had been a bench, which is where they had sat, being kept warm by the fire that broke the silence of the night. It was the first time she had seen him as him ; Ezekiel, not the King.

Their voices turned to soft, hushed whispers as they spoke, remembering the night whilst not alerting any other members of The Kingdom to there whereabouts, as well as the intimate nature of their conversation.

"Because, no matter what has happened, I could never forget that night. This area is almost unrecognisable compared to what it used to be, but I still remember. We were sat side by side, and I cannot tell you how fast my heart was beating at being that close to you. You tried to stop me from leaving-"

"But you didn't listen"

"No. The person I was back then, I needed space. I needed to get away from all of this. In all honesty I needed to get away from you" she said, sighing at the memory of the war of the saviours. When she turned, the confusion in Ezekiel's face was what she had expected, and a small smile formed on her lips at the way he quite obviously wanted to know more.

"Pray tell me, what had I done to make you need to get away from me?"

Carol practically ran over to him as she draped her arms round his neck, taking his lips with hers. She didn't know why, she certainly hadn't planned this, but it felt right. Ezekiel had barely taken in what had happened before she pulled away, her chest rising and falling a little more quickly with the adrenaline running through her body. She didn't even care that they were being watched from afar, her public displays of affection rule pulsing through her mind. That only made her blood run faster.

She jabbed at his chest with her index finger, forcing an accusing glare on her face, all of it for him.

"I needed to get away from you, because, Your Majesty, that was the moment I realised that, with every word, with every breath, with every single moment I spent near you", she emphasised her words by jabbing her finger in harder, her glare becoming more intense and her eyes narrowing. "You were weaving your mark all the way round my heart, never to be undone. That was the moment I realised I was falling in love. With a King no less. So, the first order I made as Queen was to ensure that I was the only one allowed to attend to the upkeep of this area. This was the place I first fell in love, and not just in context to you. The place we shared our first kiss, where we first decided to do what ended in this", she smirked, pointing at her stomach. "We shared our vows with each other here, the private ones for just us. Hell, this was even the first moment I realised I was pregnant. So, I made sure only I could attend to it, to keep it truly ours"

"My Queen-"

He leant down to kiss her, never feeling more loved in his life, while at the same time never feeling as much love for the woman who stood before him than in this very moment. However, she arched her back, leaning away from him, and moved her finger from his chest to his lips. Ezekiel pouted but kept his hand on her waist, giving her something to lean against. They both stood up straight and Carol smiled, feeling ever more confident with her decision.

"So", she continued. "I thought that it would be suitable for people to find out about this, here. All our milestones have been here. It's only right that this join them"

"But I thought you wanted to keep her a secret?"

"For now, yes. But if it's our secret to keep, then it's our secret to announce. In two months. At the fair. In front of four communities"

"What made you change your mind?"

"The same fool that put it there in the first place"

This time when Ezekiel went to kiss her, Carol made no attempt in stopping him. Instead she pressed herself into him, not able to get close enough. She became evermore sure that this decision was in amongst the best she ever made, right up there with letting the fool that showed up to her cottage with a pomegranate into her life, and subsequently into her heart.


	5. Thumbelina

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just because their child has yet to be born, it doesn't mean that Ezekiel can't bond with it. And it also doesn't mean that Carol can't already argue with it, and lose of course.

Carol was lucky that with this pregnancy she seemed to be showing less than she had done with Sophia, even as she was approaching the end of the fourth month. It had panicked her slightly but once Enid assured her that everything was fine she was able to focus on the positives of it, for this way it was easier to hide it and still attend to her duties that came with the role of being Queen. When she wasn't exhausted that was.

She had forgotten just how tired she could be until she fell pregnant. It was almost as if her whole body would start to shut down after a full day of work, so for once she was happy to follow Ezekiel's rule about her not pushing herself too far. Afternoon naps had become ever more common as the weeks went by and the fair started to loom over them, the preparations for it being the main cause of her exhaustion. She felt bad for leaving Ezekiel to deal with the brunt of the work, but nothing could beat it when he would come in from a days work, tired and seeking the attention of his wife and child.

Today was no different.

Seen as she couldn't help as much with the fair, Carol had taken to specially preparing meals just for the two of them in their own home. At first Ezekiel had insisted that she didn't have to do such a thing, but soon enough he had to admit that it was far better than being with the rest of The Kingdom, who's questions about the disappearance of their Queen seemed to be never ending and very repetitive. This way it could be the two of them, quiet, private and able to talk about their child as much as they wished.

As she was preparing that nights meal, she felt two strong arms wrap themselves around her waist, his hands taking place on her stomach, to which their child gave a small kick. He placed a small kiss on her cheek before resting his head on her shoulder, the fatigue washing off of him in waves.

"Another hard day?"

"Hmm. It'll be worth it though. It already is. If this is my reward, I would gladly work ten times as hard for twice as long"

He took his arms from around her waist and went to her side, rather than being behind her, and crouched down so he was level with her stomach. His hand worked its way up her shirt to rest on her stomach and he gave it a small kiss, resting his head against it. Carol could feel their child kick where Ezekiel rested his hand, and from the smile on his lips he could too. As she played with his dreads, watching him interact with their child, shivers ran down her spine and tears welled up in her eyes. It was not unusual for him to show this affection towards her stomach, but it still amazed her that simply being close to it seemed to wash away all his problems. It was truly a magical thing to witness.

"How is she?"

"Not as calm now her father's here obviously. She never is"

"You were going to reprimand me for calling her 'she', weren't you?"

"Yes. It's still so surreal. A daughter. But of course you'd be right"

It had been two weeks since they found out that they had been expecting a daughter.

Carol had known for some time that this ultrasound would be the one to inform them of the gender, a fact she had successfully kept from Ezekiel. As they rode to Hilltop Carol contemplated telling him then that they would find out, but had ultimately decided to keep it to herself so she could see his reaction at the time. She was glad she did.

Once the ultrasound was pretty much finished, Enid declaring that their child was healthy, she had asked if they wanted to know the gender. Ezekiel's grip on her hand tightened and his eyes shone with the excitement that one word had brought him. By the time Enid spoke once more, both her and Carol though he would be passed out on the floor from the nerves, excitement and fatherly expectation coursing through his veins.

"Well, there she is. One Princess, due before the year is out"

Sometimes in his sleep or after a particularly trying day, she would catch him muttering those words, no doubt replaying the moment in his mind.

Once they finished eating, Ezekiel insisted on clearing up. She started to protest but one look from him and a finger pointed towards the stairs told her he wasn't joking, so her protests were ignored as she begrudgingly traipsed up the stairs and into their room. She was more tired than she realised for as soon as she threw herself onto the bed sleep was claiming its next victim, and the next thing she knew Ezekiel was by her side, applying slight pressure to certain places on her stomach. Carol opened her mouth to ask what he was doing, but closed it when she realised what was happening. Instead she just watched as he focused intently on the task in hand, oblivious to her new conscious state.

Each time Ezekiel pressed on her stomach, it would only take a short time for their daughter to press in the exact same place. After she had done so, Ezekiel would press in a different place and wait for the same reaction, whispering words of encouragement and praise so that he wouldn't wake Carol up. It was the first, but certainly not the last, time father and daughter would play together.

As much as she didn't want to interrupt, the reason Carol had awoken was because she desperately needed the loo and if she didn't go soon there was sure to be a royal accident. However she could feel their daughter's reaction time slowing down rapidly and figured that she could wait a little while until she stopped completely, which was only few more minutes.

"I think you tired her out"

He jumped at her voice, cheeks turning slightly red at the knowledge that he had been caught.

"I didn't realise you were awake"

"And desperately needing to go to the toilet. It's a good job she's small or I wouldn't have been able to hold it"

Ezekiel moved out of her way as she made her way to the bathroom, a million and one questions running through her mind. When she re entered the room nothing had changed, including the colour of embarrassment spread across his face. She climbed onto the bed, leaning against him so her back was pressed to his chest, his hands making their way round her waist and on to her stomach, her hands taking place on top of them. Carol craned her neck to place a soft kiss on his cheek before settling into his chest, Ezekiel's chin resting on the top of her head.

"How long were you doing that before I woke up?"

"I have no idea. Not long enough. I've been thinking about doing that with her ever since I felt her kick, but I just forgot with everything going on with the fair. In all honest, I also felt a bit stupid", he admitted.

"No need to be. It's incredibly sweet and I cannot tell you how much it means to me that you already love her so much. Where did you get the idea from?"

"I managed to sneak away a book I saw Jerry had when he and Nabila were expecting. So far he hasn't noticed its sudden disappearance, so he certainly won't have known that it was me. I think so anyway. It has a few suggestions of games we could play with her, but when you were asleep I felt her kick and I remembered that one. It helps with her reflexes. As much as I don't want to think about it, I though it may be particularly important in this world to test her reflexes as soon as possible". A hint of sadness was present in his words, and her heart felt as though it would rip in two. She leant closer into him and his hands started to move on her stomach, as if he could already protect the life they had created.

"She'll be fine. I'm one hundred percent sure her father will protect her at all costs. _If _ she decides to grow any that is"

He chuckled at her words, the mirth rumbling through his chest against her head. The infinitely long battle between Carol and their daughter to get her to grow had been miserably lost in favour of their child, though that didn't mean that Carol had given up. Their daughter was healthy, she just wanted to know that she would be strong enough to protect herself when the time came.

"She is perfect just the way she is, just like her mother. Her size is of no concern. Look at Judith. She may be the daintiest thing to ever walked the earth, yet she could protect herself better than most of the adults behind these walls. Stop pestering her to grow"

"Yes Your Majesty"

She felt their daughter move within her, positioning herself so that she was pressed against Ezekiel's hands. Whenever he was near, it was guaranteed that their daughter would try and get as close to him as possible, a fact that Ezekiel was well aware of and took pride in. It was indisputably one of his favourite things to think about while enduring the day to day hardships of this world, and was something everyone would know about once they were informed of her existence.

"You will have to excuse me. I do not want to move, but our daughter has awoken and it is getting late which means that it must be story time. If I do not give the Princess what she wants, she will kick up a royal storm and prevent her mother from sleeping"

"She does that anyway. You just don't realise because you sleep like a baby. It's annoying"

She pouted at him, making him chuckle slightly.

"I may not be as effected as you, but that doesn't mean that I don't realise. When you sleep close I can feel her kick against my stomach as if I wasn't paying her enough attention. She calms down though when I put my hand over her"

"And that's the difference. She doesn't calm down for me because she's a daddy's girl"

"Damn right Milady" 

He shuffled Carol off his lap and walked over to the bookcase that contained books that had been scrounged from numerous different runs. In an attempt to further bond with his daughter, Ezekiel would lay his head on Carol's knees while she played with his dreads, reading to their child. At first it was anything, including works of Shakespeare, but as soon as they found out they were having a daughter he had turned to primarily reading fairy stories, arguing that every little girl should have a chance to lose herself in the fantasy of Princes, castles and magic, even if she would have to grow up needing to fight almost from day one. Of course, not every little girl would be living the fairy tale herself, even being called a Princess, but still.

Carol changed position so that she was leant against the headboard, propped up by pillows, legs outstretched and happily awaiting her King. Once he had chosen the newest book, he took his place and began reading, making them both feel ever more tired with each moment that passed. His voice was calming, soothing and made all three of them fall asleep much quicker than they would have done if they didn't spend this time together. Finally he had to call it quits. He was fighting to stay awake, his daughter had stopped her movements once more and he was pretty sure Carol would fall asleep sat up given the chance.

Ezekiel placed the book on the nightstand and pulled the covers over him and Carol, who had now laid down and was curled up against him. He pulled her in close and placed a soft kiss on her forehead, causing her eyes to flutter open slightly. It hadn't gone unnoticed by him that she had been wracking her mind for an answer as to why she recognised the story, and wasn't surprised when she voiced as much.

"That was a new one. Where's it from?"

"They brought it back from the run a week ago. They already have two copies of it down there for the children to read, so I took it as soon as I saw it and as soon as I was alone. I didn't have an excuse as to why I wanted it, nothing short of blaming it on you. It reminded me of her, of your battle with her to get her to grow"

"What was it?"

He smiled softly before softly saying:

"Thumbelina"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The idea of Ezekiel playing a game with her came from 'Baby of Mine' by QueenCarol, which I highly suggest you read if you haven't already. It was the main inspiration for me to write this, and then post in on here.


	6. A Few Others are Missing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day of the fair arrives

The day of the fair arrived and Carol woke up to an empty bed. At first the panic consumed every inch of her body, but the sound of Ezekiel frantically shouting from outside soon calmed her. It wasn't like him to shout so loudly, but in amongst the sense of urgency was the underlying tone of excitement; today was the day the four communities would find out about their secret.

For the past five months or so, Carol had successfully hidden her pregnancy. The days leading up to the fair had been particularly trivial, sometimes to the point where she had completely avoided going outside in an attempt to hide their daughter who, although small, was still making her presence known.

Not having to worry about hiding her ever growing stomach came as a relief, though if she was being honest she would miss wearing Ezekiel's shirts all hours of the day for they provided the comfort Carol never knew she needed. When she re-entered the bedroom, Carol made her way to the window to witness the magical transformation that had befallen The Kingdom, all thanks to its King and his persistent ways.

The room felt empty now that Ezekiel's shouting had come to a halt, but a set of familiar footsteps coming towards the door told her exactly where he was. As if she had to ask in the first place.

Sure enough, the warmth that seemed to always radiate from his body was pressed against her back as his arms made their way round her waist and his hands made their way to her stomach. Carol leaned back into him, appreciating the support his sturdy frame gave her.

"Why didn't you wake me?"

"I tried. I very distinctly remember you telling me where to go. Any of this ringing a bell?"

"No, not really"

"And the throwing of the book?"

"No. Did I hit?"

"You would have done if I didn't duck. Which I wouldn't have done if I weren't so used to it by now. If I'd have known about these abusive tendencies I would have been more careful not to get you in this state"

His voice held tones of warning and annoyance, but they were just masks for the playful and joyous attitude he always felt after one of her early morning assaults. He didn't even have to admit that he found them highly amusing, for the way he reacted told her enough. There was something both amusing and endearing about your pregnant wife throwing things in an attempt to shut you up as if you were in an alarm clock. Or maybe that was just him quite clearly blind sighted by the love he held for her, and the upmost adoration and awe he felt every time he noticed a new way her body had changed or he felt his daughter move beneath his palm.

"Sorry"

"No you're not"

"You're right. I'm not. And you still would have gotten me into this state"

Ezekiel rolled his eyes at her but was grinning,his eyes sparkling. The look she gave mustn't have been much different if the amusement she felt was anything to go by. Since around month four of her pregnancy, Carol had been prone to showing her disdain for waking up in many different ways, usually in the form of disgruntled mumblings and throwing things. Heavy things. At Ezekiel. Primarily his head. He was not ashamed to admit that, even in sleep, his wife had successfully hit her unsuspecting target the first time when he had not yet become accustomed to her early morning assaults. The shame crept in when she made him admit it was not a one off occasion and she proceeded to hit her target for at least the following three days. Bruise from training, yeah right. More like bruise from over exhausted pregnant wife who _really_ didn't want to wake up after a full night of being kicked in the ribs.

"After that I figured I'd leave you. I was afraid the lamp would be next"

"It most likely would have been"

She could feel the laughter rumbling in his chest before she felt his lips against her cheek, making her practically melt in his arms. Most of the heavy things that could be used as weapons had been removed from her bedside table, but they weren't able to easily move the lamp. Ezekiel wondered where the book (that mornings weapon of choice) had come from, but upon closer inspection it was 'Thumbelina', so his own assault had been a result of his careless placing of the thing after he read it last night.

"We're ready nonetheless, though of course they don't actually know what for. What about you? Do you feel ready for today? It's going to be a long one"

"I'm ready to stop hiding and finally being able to celebrate her in public. But being ready for a community wide announcement...well that's a different thing" she admitted, feeling almost guilty as she let out the nervous breath she didn't know she was holding.

"You'll be fine. They already love you, and they're certainly going to love her. Speaking of the Princess, is she ready? She'll be the centre of attention today"

"Today? Try forever. And why don't you ask her? The daddy's girl is more likely to answer to her father"

This time it was Carol's turn to roll her eyes as Ezekiel smiled at the bond he had already formed with his daughter, crouching down so his head was level with her stomach. She played with his dreads, blissfully content at it just being the three of them.

"My darling Princess, you have come into a very strange world. You will be known as a Princess by all, even having your own Kingdom to rule over. Today you will meet your people for the first time. Your mother and I want to know if you are ready; it is the first of many obligations you must attend to"

"I think that kick meant yes. Did you feel it?"

"It was amazing, just like every time. Though it would have been nice if it weren't against the side of my head. But I am glad both My Queen and My Princess are ready"

Ezekiel kissed her stomach, receiving another swift kick, becoming level with her once more. He turned to walk out the door, able to picture the exact look she would have on her face.

"Is she the only one that gets a kiss?"

"Jerry might. If he's lucky"

"Come here"

He planted a soft kiss on her forehead before pulling away, pleased to see the pout she reserved just for him. To (regretfully) make the pout disappear, Ezekiel gave her what she truly wanted. A kiss on the lips, passionate and just deep enough so that she could lose herself in him. He pulled away, this time receiving a small smile instead of the pout he desperately wished his daughter would inherit.

"Now go. The communities will be arriving any minute, and it's going to look suspicious if The Queen _and_ The King don't greet them"

"And since when did you start calling yourself The Queen? What happened to 'don't call me that' " he said, mocking the way she spoke in a light hearted way that made her glare towards him deepen considerably, though of course she didn't mean it.

"Well, unless you haven't noticed, I am married to a King and carrying a Princess. I think it's fair enough that I start calling myself a Queen. Now go! When you make your speech I'll make my way down"

"I cannot tell you-"

He was interrupted by the way she folded her arms across her chest, cocked her eyebrow and tapped her foot on the floor, telling him to leave them and go to the fair. He left, but not before sneaking one last kiss he planted on the tip of her nose. Ezekiel chuckled to himself as he made his way down the stairs, hearing Carol shout after him something about how his kingly ways were getting to his head. Something like that. Most likely with more swearing. The early morning assaults had been proceeded by much more swearing during all hours of the day, only making him love her more, something he didn't think possible until it happened 

As The Kingdom filled with people, Ezekiel's mind couldn't be less focused. Well, it depends on what you meant by focused. He couldn't spend more than five consecutive minutes thinking about the fair, for his mind was almost one hundred percent occupied with the thought of the announcement.

Not soon enough, it was time for Ezekiel to make his way to the balcony, from which he would make his speech that would eventually be the thing to guide the people towards Carol, towards their daughter. As he made his way out on the balcony, the people cheered and Carol made her way to the place they had decided to announce their secret. It had been completed with a stall of her very own, which she had prepared for by baking cookies for at least the past two days. They were a treat enjoyed by everyone, most of all the children, and seeing it had made many leap with joy at the thought of seeing their Queen once more. If anything, this whole ordeal had truly opened Carol's eyes and had allowed her to see just how valued she really was, and not just by Ezekiel.

"My people, Alexandria, Hilltop and Oceanside. We welcome you to the first of many fairs and thank you for your kindness. As you know, The Kingdom needs help now more than ever, though hopefully after today that will be a concern no longer. But for now My Queen and I invite you to have fun and enjoy today, just being together and celebrating what we have"

Although she could not see him, Carol could practically see Ezekiel throw up his arms as the people gave out cries of joy. She cringed, knowing that the noise would probably attract walkers, but her instinct to fight gave way to the slight fear she felt when she heard them be quiet, knowing that they would be making their way over to her in a few minutes or so.

Perhaps a herd of walkers wouldn't be so bad after all.

"But wait my fair people. Before you disperse, there is something we want to tell you. As the inhabitants of The Kingdom can tell you, our Queen has not been herself recently and you can see for yourselves that she has yet to join us on this joyous day. Well, you will be pleased to know that, if you want to, you can find her in the gardens, along with her stall and the cause of the disruption of The Kingdom's way of life"

At the mention of her stall, a few of the children tried to instantly dart away from their parents, knowing that, if their Queen had a stall at the fair, it most likely meant cookies. For the most part their parents did nothing to stop them, for once fully confident that they were safe behind the walls surrounded by people they knew.

Carol jumped at the sudden noise of shouting children coming round the corner.

Walkers would definitely be preferable.

Most of the younger children barrelled right into her, unaware of her current state and warranting a small surprised gasp. By the time their parents came round the corner to join their children and make sure they were behaving, there was no way they could have seen that she was pregnant for the crowd of children around her was hiding it more successfully than any shirt could have. Any child that couldn't personally cling onto her, was clinging onto the child in front until there seemed to be at least three or four children joined together in an attempt to get closer to her.

Ezekiel had witnessed what had happened from the balcony, and had rushed down, panicking that the impact would in someway harm his daughter. When he reached the crowd Carol simply grinned and shook her head, letting him know that no damage had been done.

Judith, understandably, was the child within the closest proximity of Carol, her arms wrapped round her waist. This was the girl Carol had raised as her own for the first year or so of her life, and in all honesty was the one she missed most after the separation with Alexandria. Suddenly Judith pulled her head away from where it was resting on her stomach, her brow furrowed in confusion. Carol wasn't stupid. She knew what Judith felt. Other than Ezekiel, she was the first one to feel their daughter kick.

"What was that?"

"You never felt that when your mom was expecting RJ?"

Judith shrugged her shoulders, truly unsure whether she had or not. She had been so young when Michonne was pregnant that, even if she had, it was unlikely that she would have remembered such an experience. Then, in a split second, her eyes widened with realisation.

She motioned for Carol to crouch down so that they were level, allowing her to whisper to her. Carol complied, if a little ungracefully. She glared when she saw Ezekiel, Jerry and Enid stifling laughter at the level of awkwardness her daughter brought to such a simple action. Even Alden started sniggering slightly once Enid turned round to clue him in. 

Judith leaned in close and whispered, as if it were her secret that she would guard with her life.

"Are you and The King having a baby?"

Carol replicated Judith's actions, cupping her hand round her mouth and against the side of Judith's head, making the other children groan at the secret they had yet to be let in to.

"Yes. A Princess"

"A Princess!"

She nodded, elated to know that Judith was excited about the new arrival. This little girl meant more to her than she cared to admit, and was possibly the closest thing she got to having a child and feeling like a mother until she came to The Kingdom and started to raise Henry as her own, alongside Ezekiel.

"You want to tell them?"

Judith's eyes widened at the prospect of announcing the news she herself had only just found out about. Carol glanced over at Ezekiel and mimed a zip over her mouth, telling him to remain quiet and make others do so too. If they made it obvious they had seen her stomach, which they were sure to do once she stood up straight, it would ruin the small sliver of joy she had managed to give Judith, who seemed to have very few moments where she could just be a kid.

As expected, there were a few gasps from the adults once she stood up but one look from her and a hushed 'shh' from Ezekiel soon made them quieten down. Climbing onto the table of Carol's stall first, Judith clambered on to her shoulders, losing the hat Carl had given her in the process. Judith was small for her age, her delicate frame truly representing how much she weighed. All the same Ezekiel didn't look too pleased at Carol's eagerness to please the child, but one moment of her narrowing her eyes and pursing her mouth had him chuckling at his wife's stubbornness and forgetting about everything else.

"Ladies and Gentleman, listen to me! I have a very big secret to announce!"

Everyone looked at Judith who now sat atop Carol's shoulders, shouting for all she was worth.

"I have been told I can tell you this very important bit of information. Carol...I...umm...The Queen"

That was Ezekiel's doing. Judith had never called Carol 'Queen', so had said Carol instinctively. As soon as Ezekiel noticed he mimed a crown being placed onto his own head, a playfully stern look on his face with both eyebrows raised.

"The Queen and The King are expecting a Princess!"

Carol could feel the jolt as Judith threw her arms up in a manner very similar to Ezekiel, who was stood at the back of the crowd doing just that, holding his chin high and straightening his back, showing Judith just what to do. Yeah, 'cause Carol was the only one eager to please Judith.

There were further cries of joy from the crowd, and this time when the children attempted to barrel in to her their parents either stopped them before they made contact, or scolded them for doing so if they weren't quick enough to prevent it in the first place.

Judith made no attempt to descend from her place on Carol's shoulders, and Carol was equally just as unbothered to make her get down. If it weren't for the other children she could have happily had Judith remain on her shoulders for the remainder of the day, but as it was she had promised the other children that they would get cookies and attention from their Queen that they had sorely missed on a day to day basis. As it was, she needn't have worried about making Judith feel bad for she simply stayed by her side, helping to pass round the cookies that were highly sought after.

Once the crowd had mostly thinned out, Carol felt something barge into her from behind. If it weren't for the table in front of her where she placed both hands to prevent her from falling over, she would have definitely ended up on the floor. When she turned she saw the grinning face of the younger Greene sister, Daryl stood a short distance away looking rather guilty at the sudden attack he had no control over.

While Carol was expecting questions, she wasn't expecting ninety nine percent of them to come from Beth. Daryl attempted to make her give over for a while, but Beth was just as stubborn as Carol, and where either one of them was concerned Daryl was pretty much screwed. Particularly now that Carol was expecting and Beth had the most beautiful ring upon her finger, presented to her by Daryl only a week ago. A baby, a wedding. Things were going well.

A younger Carol, the person she was before The Kingdom, before Ezekiel, would most likely have called it the calm before the storm, but the new Carol, The Queen, would simply accept that this was now life. An underlying sense of danger, but for the most part they were safe and carrying on with life as it should be.

When it finally came time for the movie, Carol was exhausted and didn't even attempt to protest Ezekiel's orders of her to remain seated in his throne. She would have sat in hers, but his was bigger and therefore easier to curl up in without the risk of slipping off. It was unclear to the both of them whether she would be able to make it the full way through the movie without falling asleep, but at the same time neither of them would have had it any other way.

They had reconnected with old friends, finally been able to fully relax after what felt like forever, and had even been introduced to Lydia, Alpha's daughter, who Henry had taken quite a shining to during his time at Hilltop. To their delight and amazement the introduction had gone well, and by the end of it they were more than happy to call Lydia family, if that's what the future held.

By the time the movie started, Carol's eyelids were already starting to droop as she sat in Ezekiel's throne, one hand behind her head to provide some sort of support, the other lazily resting on her stomach that was now protected by her knees pulled up to her chest.

She was so out of it she jumped slightly when Ezekiel spoke, really not expecting a disruption of the silence surrounding her semi-unconscious state.

"Can you believe how far we have come in such a short amount of time? Our son is out there right now taking a girl to _the movies_, we're actually safe behind these walls, and now we have a Princess on the way"

"Well if you could tell your Princess to calm down that would be much appreciated"

She didn't miss the drowsy way she spoke, but she wasn't all that surprised. Today had been long and tiring, and she wanted nothing more than to curl up in Ezekiel's arms and fall asleep.

"Why is she my daughter when she's misbehaving?"

"Because. She takes after you. You made her this way, you can deal with her. Besides, she's more likely to actually calm down if the request comes from you. Though I suspect I will be doing most of the dirty work because she will quite obviously have you wrapped"

"_Will_ have me wrapped? She already does. Just like someone else I know"

"Damn right" she mumbled, forcing an exhausted smile as she began to lose the battle with sleep.

Despite still having her eyes closed, she could feel him crouch down and place his hands on her knees that were still pulled up to her chest, causing her to be in a sort of upright foetal position in the oversized throne. Ezekiel placed a tender kiss to each of her covered knees, sending shivers through her body. She opened her eyes slightly, her eyelids still drooping, removing the hand from her stomach and cupping his cheek instead.

"Hey" she whispered, exhaustion lacing the one meagre word.

"Tired?"

"Mmm"

He leaned over to kiss her, but was interrupted by Lydia who came rushing round the corner, every inch of her face coloured with panic. She didn't even wait for either one to enquire as to what was wrong, the words came freely and with just as much panic as her face showed.

The battle with sleep was won pretty damn quickly with what she had to say 

"My mother was here and now I can't find Henry. A few others are missing too"

The bile rose in Carol's throat but if Ezekiel felt a similar way he managed to hide it well. He remained calm as he tried to figure out what to do.

He was taking too long in this trance like state he was in. Maybe he wasn't handling it so well after all.

"I'll go. We'll find them, we have to"

Trance, gone.

"No. Not with our Princess. You're perfectly capable, but we can't risk her. You stay here with Lydia. Round up the others from Hilltop and Alexandria that have experience with this stuff and know how to handle a situation. Don't let anyone else know unless it's blatantly obvious we're gone or it's necessary for them to know. Myself, Daryl, Michonne and Jerry will go"

"Fine. But come back. Our Princess needs her father. I do too"

"That is the only promise I can truly make"

Ezekiel felt useless, he couldn't even promise the safe return of their son. But for Carol he would try anyway, though deep down they both knew that there was little hope they would ever see him again.

"I love you"

"I love you too My Love"

He kissed her on the forehead, a sort of comforter for both of them, Carol burying her chin into her chest as she supressed the tears she didn't even know she had anymore. Ezekiel left the two woman together before leaving to round up the small group he would take on the retrieval mission. Retrieve what? They did not know, not really.

All three of them knew that the Prince, as well as the others who were missing, were most likely dead; Alpha was new and unpredictable and they had yet to find out the full extent of her cruelty, though of course Lydia had a pretty vivid idea of what her mother was capable of. Every image was just as gory, just as heart breaking, and just as possible.

When the group arrived back the next day, and injured Siddiq in tow, an ominous pile of something beneath slightly blood soaked sheets and the tears threatening to fall from Ezekiel's eyes, one of her worst fears had been confirmed.

Their son was dead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We all know what Henry's death means...  
One of the tags is about to play a big part in this fic.


	7. The Life they Called Theirs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We see the first few moments of how Carol reacts to Henry's death.

_"You just...made me feel real. Not a fiction. Real"_

_He sounded pathetic in his head. No doubt he sounded pathetic in the head of the strong warrior woman he had grown close to. Grown to love. But then, could you grow to love when the love had fully bloomed the moment it was planted?_

_She walked away. God damn, he was wallowing in his own self pity and it caused her to walk away. He wasn't The King the people needed. How could he protect them when he couldn't protect Shiva? Maybe it was for the best she walked away. Being near him could only end badly._

_But then..._

_She got to the door. She turned round. She didn't leave. _

_She **didn't **leave._

_She turned right back round and marched down the aisle towards him, towards his pity and his issues. She walked towards Ezekiel, not The King._

_"You are real...to me"_

_She sounded pathetic in her head. To him she sounded like the first person in this new world to truly know him. She called him out on his bullshit and she made him feel truly valued. If he knew any better, he would have known that to her, he was the first person to ever make her feel anything close to being loved, and for the first time in what felt like forever she could focus on things other than the cruel, harsh reality._

_She could dream._

_This world could use a few more dreamers. Thanks to him it already had one more._

* * *

Alpha singled him out. Why was unclear, but she did. He was untied so he could follow her, and he would be lying if he didn't completely panic.

It was like with every step he took, a new scene flashed before his eyes, some memories and some just cruel images his mind created to torment him.

Carol.

Carol smiling for the first time in a while, laughing for the first time ever.

Carol taking Henry in as her own.

Carol saying yes, after many failed attempts.

Carol on their wedding day, and night.

Carol telling him why she grew out her hair and him feeling stunned, angry and loved.

Carol.

Alone.

No son.

No husband.

Alone.

His daughter.

His daughter asking where her daddy is, and her mummy not able to answer because the tears came before she could stop them.

He snapped out of it. He had to. If he wanted those scenes to come true, he could stay in his trance, but if he wanted to make it out of here alive he had to remain vigilant and hope for the best.

After what felt like an eternity they reached the top of a steep cliff. Below them were over a thousand walkers, ready to attack either one of the communities at the drop of a hat. The whisperers could lead them to either settlement and just like that, everything would be over. If he wasn't so worried about Carol, Ezekiel would have definitely fallen into the herd below them, too overcome with shock and fear to be safely standing over a 100 ft drop.

When Alpha said that he and the group could leave Ezekiel felt as though the entire world had been lifted from his shoulder.

"You stay on your side of the border, and we'll stay on ours"

"How will we know where the border is?"

The malicious half smile on her face caused his stomach to knot. This was not good.

"Trust me, you'll know. It's clearly marked"

If there was any hope that Henry and the others were alive it was dashed away by her words.

If there was any hope after her words it had certainly gone when they found Siddiq in the woods, injured and bloody, tied to a tree.

Siddiq confirmed what they already knew: Alpha had infiltrated the fair and managed to sneak out, capturing a few poor souls and taking them with her, no doubt to serve as a warning. Walkers could be heard from further up the hill.

They had found the border.

Clearly marked. Like she said.

Ozzy and Alek. D.J and Frankie. Adeline, Rodney, Tammy Rose and The Kingdom's doctor.

Tara.

Enid.

Henry.

** _Henry_ **

Jerry tried to obstruct Ezekiel's view so that he wouldn't have to see Henry, but his efforts came too late. He had already seen his son who was now one of those things, mounted on a pike for all to see.

Henry shouldn't have gotten close. When he was near Ezekiel, bad things were sure to happen. He couldn't protect Shiva, so how could he have protected Henry? Since day one it had just been a waiting game.

No matter how hard it was, they had to bury their dead. That meant they had to put them out of their misery before removing the heads from their pikes. That meant they had to find their bodies.

Siddiq led them to a barn about a mile or so away, the blood still fresh on the straw covered floor. The whisperers had made no attempt to cover the bodies and they were in the place where they had fought for their lives, no doubt terrified and knowing that it would be their last moments. Henry had been at the forefront of it all. He had either been the first to go or the last, but if Alpha's cruelty was anything to go by he had been the last. He had been made to watch. One by one his friends, his family, had been killed and he had been made to watch.

The thought alone was distressing enough and Ezekiel had to fight back the tears and the acid that rose in the back of his throat. Now was not the time. Carol had to know.

God Carol. Seeing Henry was one thing, but Ezekiel could already tell that seeing Carol's reaction would be a thousand times worse.

The group walked through the gates of The Kingdom the following morning, running on very little sleep. From the look of everyone back home they were too. Everyone had stayed overnight at The Kingdom, feeling safer if they were together behind walls than if they were to go out there in smaller groups, exposed and in danger.

Carol was at the front of the crowd that had gathered stood with Lydia, Beth and Daryl. Ezekiel caught her gaze and shook his head, bowing his head slightly. He didn't need to. Carol already knew. Ezekiel looked up once more to see the crowd parting, as a rather distraught Carol ran through the crowd, one hand protectively over her stomach, the other clutching her mouth. Ezekiel knew her well enough to know that anything she had eaten wouldn't be in her stomach for much longer and he yearned to go after her, to give her the comfort she may or may not need. Yes, she may need to be alone for a while, but eventually she would need him. God knows he needed her.

The people wanted answers. Were they safe? What happens next? Will the whisperers return? The questions went on forever and soon became very repetitive. Ezekiel couldn't have been more grateful when Michonne took his place after dismissing the questions being thrown at her, allowing him to go after Carol.

She would be in one of two places, but he couldn't tell which. All he could do was find her and go from there.

Eventually Ezekiel was far enough away from the crowd that he could focus on his surroundings. He was slightly crouched, walking heel to toe. It was instinct for when you were tracking something. A small smile graced his lips as he remembered Benjamin saying that Carol told him as such when he had unsuccessfully tried to track her. Even back them he could tell that even the most advanced trackers had no chance against Carol. She was truly a force to be reckoned with.

As he rounded the corner he could hear someone weeping, softly and quietly as if they didn't want to be caught.

It was her.

Carol had her knees pulled up as much as they could, her stomach in the way of them coming right up to her chest like she wanted. Her arms were draped over her knees and her head was bowed, buried into the crook of her right arm to hide her face. She was leant against the flower bed they had tended to many times over the years with Henry. Unknown to them, they had spent their first moments as a family here. This was one of the placed she was sure to be, beside the place her adoptive son had first become hers and beside the bush of Cherokee roses that were planted for her daughter.

Ezekiel could still remember the whole Cherokee rose ordeal. Every time they went out on a run together just the two of them Carol would always make a point of passing the bush, which was out in the woods at the time. She would brush her fingers over the delicate petals and a solemn look would always creep onto her face. After the third time of her doing that, Ezekiel had questioned her about it. It was after the fifth that she told him. When he found out, he made a point of always taking her that way, whether it be when they were on a run or they just wanted time away from The Kingdom. Then there was the time it was no longer there. Her heart had shattered into a million pieces, just to be rebuilt a million times stronger when it had appeared in the garden she tended to with Henry. It was her first anniversary present. Carol had thrown her arms round Henry's neck, making him blush with embarrassment at being hugged by his mother out in the open. It was the first time she broke her over the top public displays of affection rule, wrapping her arms round Ezekiel's arms and placing a deep passionate kiss on his lips, grinning when she pulled away. Yes, the flowers would always hold sentimental meaning and she would never stop feeling a slight pang of guilt and sadness every time she looked at it, but at the same time the joy she felt when she had first seen it resurfaced every time she walked by it.

Now she couldn't care less about the stupid rose bush.

She wanted their son back.

It was hard to believe that the woman who was overcome with joy at its arrival was the same woman who now sat before it, defeated and upset.

Ezekiel sat beside her on the floor which is when her soft weeps became deep, guttural sobs. Her whole body shook with them as she rested against him, comforted by his arms that wrapped around her, pulling her close and safe. One of his hands rubbed her shoulder, helping her to calm down enough to finally speak.

When Carol looked up at him Ezekiel found that, despite the sobs that told you a much different story, sadness was a secondary emotion. Anger was the primary focus, vengeance burning deep in her eyes. The blue irises brimmed with hatred, and something new glazed over her eyes momentarily. It was a look she had given others but never him. He hoped he was wrong. That look was usually followed by, well, nothing. That was the problem. Once you received that look, Carol pulled away. But that look went. Usually it lingered so maybe it was meaningless.

Hopefully.

That look triggered the alarm bells in his mind, the ones that had been set up by one of the greatest fears he had ever faced. He was scared she would blame him for Henry's death, for him not being protected. At this moment in time he couldn't tell whether she did or not, and that scared him more than knowing.

If she was honest, she probably did.

But it wasn't all on him.

The blame was everywhere.

In her mind anyway.

It was even on her.

It was just unfortunate that he was the one to find Henry.

Now she could only see him when she looked at Ezekiel.

She pushed it out of her mind.

Hopefully it would stay that way, for her sake and for his.

If the incident was anything to go by, hope didn't count for much anymore.

"How?"

She sounded weak and pathetic, understandable but still annoying to her. She hated the tears and the uncertainty. She hated being so dependent in this very moment in time.

"Decapitation" He wanted to keep every little detail from her, but she would find out one way or another. It would do more harm than good to try and protect her. "His head on a pike, his body in a barn. He will be buried tomorrow, along with the others"

Carol stilled in his arms, warranting him to look down at her. She seemed to be frozen in place, too consumed by anger and rage to make any sort of movement.

Now it was Ezekiel's turn to be honest.

Her reaction scared him.

She had never been this angry before.

He didn't even know it was possible.

"Who else?"

"The Highwaymen, Frankie, D.J, Tammy Rose, our doctor, Adeline, Rodney. Tara...Enid"

Ezekiel was hesitant to list the last two names, particularly the last one. It was all too much loss. Carol had been close to Tara and even closer to Enid. She was possibly the closest she got to a female friend in this world. But she wasn't just one of the closest people to her, she was their doctor.

"No doctor? Not here, not close?"

"I am afraid not My Love"

She tensed in his arms when he called her 'My Love'. Maybe that wasn't such a good idea. It wasn't a good sign.

"What will we do?"

"We will find a way. We quite literally have no choice. In a few months she will be with us. We have to find a way, for her sake and for yours"

"Hmm"

Carol seemed to consider what she was going to say next very carefully, as if saying it could be detrimental to either her state or the state of their relationship, which was very much a grey spot for Ezekiel. She appeared to want his comfort, but after being with her for a few minutes he wasn't so sure.

"Would you mind taking me up to our room?" Her voice was soft, barely a whisper. She most definitely did not want his help, but was forced to ask for it nonetheless. "I would go myself but I don't know if I can, particularly if they want answers"

"Are you feeling unwell?"

"I'll be fine. It's probably just the shock"

"I would be happy to help My...um...never mind"

His voice faltered as he remembered her reaction to him the last time he had called her 'My Love'. He couldn't afford to make that mistake twice. Even when he said 'My' she tensed. This was not good.

He didn't know whether Carol truly didn't notice the way he stopped himself, disappointment lacing his words, or whether she truly didn't care.

He didn't want the answer.

However, it did not go unnoticed by Ezekiel that she pulled apart from him quickly, as if she couldn't spend a minute more leaning on his side with his arms round her. Carol would have begun to walk away if it weren't for her whole world spinning, hence asking for his help in the first place.

As she reluctantly leant on him for support he became evermore worried about her. While they had shared many things, seen each other break more times than any one else had, something about this was different. While Carol was still the strong warrior he had met many years ago, the strength he so admired had been temporarily chased away by the death of their son. He had no doubt it was still there, but still. Ezekiel just hoped that, even wracked with anger and vengeance, she remained clear headed and more well adjusted than others. The level of anger bubbling away in her could cause her downfall.

Carol walked slowly knowing that walking faster would cause the spinning to do the same. Ezekiel went at her pace, even slowing her down when he was scared she was pushing herself too much. He even offered to carry her, though he knew that was a long shot. Finally she gave in. The darkness that threatened to take over her world did so effortlessly.

One minute she was walking beside her husband, the next she could vaguely hear him shouting her name, then shouting for help. Ezekiel scooped her up into his arms with ease before quickening his pace, trying and failing to protect her and their daughter. The same daughter that, for the first time in forever, made no movement within her. By the way Ezekiel spoke to her stomach, neither he nor others could find any sign of the life they called theirs.

What was it? The fourth month? The fifth? Wearing his shirts had become more commonplace, and not just for coverage. She needed comfort. This was when she lost the others.

_"You are real...to me"_

She shouldn't have turned around. She shouldn't have gotten close.

The world could have lived without one more dreamer.

Now it would have to live without two.

What's the point in dreaming if you have no one to dream with?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Could there be any more loss? God this is cheery. The next few chapters aren't any better but chapter 10 makes up for it (for me anyway)  
You'll have to be the judge when the time comes


	8. Surely a Dreamer Could Dare to Dream of such a Thing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a day that could only be described as hell, Ezekiel find himself thinking about the best night of his life.

Her whole body felt like lead. She ached yet felt completely numb. And cold. She was so cold. She hadn't felt this way since she came to The Kingdom. Except for her left hand, the only warm part of her body. It was clasped in another's. Someone was talking. A man. A woman.

"Will she be alright?"

The man was worried. Carol could hear it in his voice. She had only heard the amount of worry be present in the voice of one person and she had only felt the warmth of her left hand with the same man.

Ezekiel.

"She'll be fine" the woman replied. At first she thought it was Enid, but she had been prematurely ripped from this world. Beth maybe? She had some medical training, but not a lot. "We don't know how much longer she'll be out, but she'll be fine. That we can be sure of. Please don't worry. She'll need you when she wakes up"

"I know. I'm trying"

There was a moment of silence before maybe Beth spoke again. It was clear she wasn't happy with what she had to say for her voice became softer and lower, almost like a confession given by a child more than a medical update given by a fully grown woman.

"We have to do the tests again"

"She doesn't like those" he mumbled, clearly not happy with what was about to be done. That was probably the reason for Beth being unsure about saying it in the first place.

"I know"

The small exchange was more of a formality and it almost felt forced, but it was sort of needed. Like it showed that they understood one another, so Beth could show that she was there for Ezekiel. Either way it sounded very much like they were going through the motions, as if this was something they were used to.

How long had she been out?

Before any other thought could enter her mind, her shirt was being lifted up over her stomach and people were prodding at the swell and listening for a heartbeat, something their daughter did not appreciate by the storm she kicked up inside of her. They were doing other things that her clouded mind could not quite understand what or why they were doing it, but at least she kept her modesty. She had been pregnant enough times before to know that that was not always the case. But why did she care? Henry was gone.

The realisation hit like a tonne of bricks when it came back to her.

Lydia coming behind the curtain, saying her mother had infiltrated the walls of The Kingdom. She couldn't find Henry. Then Ezekiel left, and came back, shaking and bowing his head. Henry was gone. For good. Then she ran, Ezekiel found her. And then he lost her.

All of a sudden the fact that he was no longer holding her hand because people were conducting tests didn't seem like such a bad thing.

That didn't mean she didn't miss him.

As soon as the people left her alone Ezekiel resumed his position and ran one hand over her still exposed stomach, lessening the storm their daughter created. Carol could hear the door shut. It was hard not to. It was the only noise in the room and it only amplified the pain in her head. Her hand automatically went to her head to dull the pounding, warranting a small gasp from Ezekiel which is when she realised what she had done.

Slowly but surely she opened her eyes, only to close them at the harsh bright light coming in from the open windows. She turned her head away from the light and Ezekiel must have realised what was wrong, forcing himself to leave her side and draw the curtains so that the room was basked in darkness. They could still see, but her head didn't have to suffer any more. Once Carol had opened her eyes and was confident in the fact that she could move without having to deal with any repercussions, she attempted to sit up. She had to pause half way, worried that she would pass out again, which is when Ezekiel tried to help her. One look and he backed away. She wasn't in the mood to be helped, least not by the person she had so many feelings about. That was something she'd have to deal with herself. She was glad he saw that, mostly because she didn't want him hurt.

Successful in her attempts to sit up and somewhat secure in the knowledge that Ezekiel wasn't deeply hurt by her actions, Carol spoke, her voice low and filled with uncertainty. Yet the anger was still there, slightly. It would go unnoticed by many but Ezekiel could hear it. To him it filled the room.

"How long was I out?"

"Two days. You scared us. I didn't know what would happen"

"What happened?"

"From what Beth could see, there's nothing seriously wrong with you or her. She's not professionally trained in this aspect, but she could confidently rule out anything life threatening. It was most likely a mixture of shock, extreme exhaustion and dehydration. At first we though we'd lost her, but as soon as we could get medical equipment we could see that she was fine. She _is _fine"

The relief in his voice played a cruel game, tugging at her heart strings. There was no denying that her love for Ezekiel was still there, but at this moment in time there were so many other things she felt that just got in the way of that.

Then she remembered something else. Before she'd passed out Ezekiel had said that they were to bury Henry the next day. If Carol had been out for two days, the burial was one day ago. This time the tears did not come but the fight was not one easily won.

"Was...was Henry buried?"

"I am afraid so My...um...Carol" Damn. He must have remembered the way she tensed the last time he called her 'My Love', despite that being two days ago and everything happening in between then and now. Tug, tug, tug. Even when she was being possibly the worst wife in the world, he was still being the best husband, remembering everything and putting that knowledge to use to try and make her happier. Little did he know, either way he would not be making her happier. What she ended up feeling would be different, yes, but either way her emotions at this moment in time could not be described as anything in the way of happiness. "He was buried yesterday"

Yesterday? That meant...

"You waited?"

Ezekiel nodded his head solemnly. She could see that he himself was holding back tears, his eyes wide with grief, love and worry. His chocolate eyes bore into her soul, making her feel things that overwhelmed all of her senses. She looked away, Ezekiel following suit. It was like they were strangers forced together into this intimate situation and they didn't know how to act.

"The others were buried, but I hoped that you may wake up before it was too late. As it was, we didn't know how much longer you were going to be out so I decided to bury him yesterday. If I'd have known that you would have woken up today I would have held out one more day. But you can still see him. If you want to and are able to do so"

"I'd like that. Thank you"

A fond, sort of sad smile made its way onto her face and she turned her head so that she was facing him once more. The anger and the hatred had been chased away for now. That he could be grateful for, even if his thanks were only temporary.

Then Carol tensed and all sense of calm was gone. He looked around the room, frantically searching for the cause of the possible danger towards his girls. When he found none he was confused, but one look at Carol told Ezekiel everything. Both hands were wrapped protectively over her stomach and her brow was creased in a look of confusion and concern. She had remembered.

"The doctor. Enid..."

His suspicions were confirmed with those three words. She had remembered.

"I know"

"No. No you don't. How can you? You've never experienced this and you sure as hell don't know everything that could go wrong"

Had she really said that? None of it sounded like her. Guilt and regret took over her body once Carol had realised what she had said and the tone she had said it in. She was snappy, bitter and had even raised her voice. This wasn't normal and it certainly wasn't good. In all their years of marriage she had never spoken to him like this, not even on her worst days. Ezekiel was clearly shocked by her sudden outburst but, as ever, he never rose his voice back. He remained calm, if a little (Ok, a lot) hurt by her words and attitude. He would never treat her like that. Like she wasn't worth a damn. Because to him, she was all he had left and she was his world. Her and their daughter. But his world was slowly crumbling and he couldn't tell how much longer it had.

"You're right. I can't know everything. But I do know worrying won't fix anything and it'll just make things worse. So you have to calm down"

His final six words were the only ones that deceived his usually calm demeanour. That was when he rose his voice, but considering he was speaking softly in the first place it wasn't much louder than his usual tone. It was stronger, though, more insistent and she'd be damned if she went against it. But it was obvious to Carol that he was worried. Ezekiel was worried about her, and she was sure that raising his voice and making himself sound more stern and severe was a last resort. She was also sure that it damn near killed him inside. But he did it to get through to her. It had worked, and everything she though was correct. It had nearly killed him, and it was a last resort. For the first time in forever, he was at a loss when it came with Carol. She had always been his one constant since she was first carried through the gates of The Kingdom. She was the one thing he could always predict, always know. But this wasn't Carol, this wasn't the woman he married. This was a woman who was scared and filled with sadness, regret and hatred. This was a woman who let everything else get the better of her, to win.

"Sorry. I am. I...I don't know what made me snap"

No answer. He would say it's fine, but that didn't feel right. Instead he just bowed his head so he wouldn't have to look her in the eyes because he knew he would finally break. Ezekiel heavily contemplated standing up and leaving, but his hand still rested on her stomach and he could feel their daughter moving beneath his palm, convincing him to stay. Carol knew the reason he stayed, and was scared of what he would do once their daughter decided enough was enough and went still.

She placed her hands over his and she could feel him tense. Her touch had never done that before. Is this what he felt when she did the same two days ago? But why did he tense? She supposed it was because of the way she was acting, which only made her feel worse. He was unsure of how she would react to anything he would say or do. This was all her fault and it killed everything in her.

Carol pulled her hands away. Ezekiel always gave her space when she needed it and now it was her time to return the favour. Besides, if she were to do anything that suggested she was at least starting to get over all the anger and the hatred she would be giving him false hope. No matter what she felt she couldn't do that. It was better if he knew where she truly stood, rather than thinking that she was fine only to have that ripped away from him once more.

"Can I see Henry?"

Ezekiel jolted his head up, looking her deep in the eyes. He didn't think it was a good idea to take her to the grave, but at the same time he wasn't going to deny a grieving mother the opportunity to feel close to her son. He knew that wasn't the only thing she would feel and he also knew that this could be the final boulder thrown at the crack to make it crumble. That's what scared him.

Scared.

He was actually scared of what would happen if he took her to the grave. Scared of what she would feel, how she would react, how she would cope with it. Because he knew. This wasn't the scared he felt when he first took in Benjamin and Henry, the scared he felt when he asked her what she felt for him, the scared on their wedding day or when he first found out she was pregnant. Those times he was scared because there were so many things that couldn't be guaranteed and the future was uncertain, though each time he was sure that they would contain a great load of joy. This time he was scared because he knew everything before they had even happened. She may not be the woman he married, but he could still predict some things. He had seen her do it before, but never with him.

Carol would pull away.

But scared or not, he nodded. If she pulled away then they would have to deal with it when it came to it. For now she needed a chance to grieve.

He wasn't the only one scared though. Carol was too. It was the only thing she could think about whilst Ezekiel pushed her further and further towards Henry's grave. Come on now, he may have let her out the room but no way in hell was she walking. Not yet. Instead she was sat in one of the wheelchairs The Kingdom's infirmary seemed to have a never ending supply of. It was not lost on either of them that this is how they first met all those years ago, when Morgan had pushed her in to see The King. But now he wasn't just The King, he was Ezekiel. The man she had married and the man she had raised a child with, the same child that now lay cold in the ground before he had a chance to truly live.

If they were in their regular moods, Ezekiel would have placed one hand on Carol's shoulder, squeezing to let her know he was there, and in turn Carol would have placed her hand atop his, squeezing it gently to let him know that she was there for him. She was there for their daughter. He would have either remained standing or crouched beside her and they would have shared memories of Henry. There would have been tears but maybe they would have smiled, maybe even laughed a little. They would have held hands, they would have a moments silence. They would have been there for each other, like they should be. Then, at the end of it, maybe Carol would have requested they go home, or maybe they would have just spent time together in The Kingdom, a few people occasionally asking questions and checking up on their Queen, but for the most part they would have been left alone to be together and mourn. Then, when they did eventually go home, Carol would have curled up beside Ezekiel and he would have held her close through the night, calming her when a nightmare about Henry hit, everything replaying in her mind, much like it had done when Rick sacrificed himself for the greater good. She would have done the same for him, much like when Shiva had died which caused visions of both her and Benjamin to resurface. In the morning they would still be mourning, they would be for some time, but they would have been together. They would have gotten through it. Together. King and Queen, Ezekiel and Carol, side by side.

But there was none of that.

The journey down was hard enough. People of The Kingdom looked upon them with sympathy and it took all Carol had not to call it off and make Ezekiel take her home. When they got to the grave Ezekiel took a step back, giving Carol space and time to grieve. Alone. There were no smiles, no laughter. There wasn't even tears. There was no room for sadness with all the other emotions swirling around inside her, making her blood boil.

Henry had been buried away from the other pike victims in the royal garden that only a select few had access to. He was buried beside Benjamin's grave and the memorials put in place for Shiva and Sophia. There were flowers, pictures and cards scattered about where the wind had blown them out of place, all of them for the people's fallen prince. Because that's what he was. Fallen. Gone. Ripped from them by that bitch.

The amount of animosity towards Alpha was surreal, and the anger threatened to boil over at any minute. All of it froze her in place, even to the point where her hands remained by her side in favour of calming her daughter. All of it. Everything. It was terrifying and certainly not like anything she had felt before. Particularly the parts where the thought of Ezekiel made her feel even worse. She knew that what she felt towards him wasn't hatred for the love she felt was too strong, but there was something there all the same. She needed space and distance from him to sort herself out and to protect him.

Protect him.

From her.

What had this come to?

"Take me back. Please"

Her voice was barely audible. It was either that or let the anger win and have a full blown shouting 'match' out in the open. 'Match' because Ezekiel wouldn't shout back. She knew he wouldn't. Earlier had been proof of that. He had seen the effects shouting could have on her when other people did it. She would tense and have the urge to flee or protect herself, a product of Ed's wrath. No matter how unreasonable she was being he could never do that to her. Even if that wasn't the case he still wouldn't do it. For one he wasn't one to raise his voice at anyone for he didn't see the point; in the long run it only made things worse. Then there was the fact that he could never do anything to her that made her feel anything but loved and safe. He would always remain calm and would, at the most, raise his voice like one would at a child who was misbehaving. Perhaps that would be for the best. At least it would be fitting. She sure as hell felt like a child with the way she was behaving.

"As you wish. Do you want to see anyone or have everyone kept from you?"

For fucks sake. He knew her way too well, only making her feel even more remorseful. Ezekiel knew that in most instances when she felt like this she would want to be left alone, but there was always one person she would always see. Like, always. To the point it became frustrating that he wasn't that person. Well, he used to be, but not in this instance.

Carol didn't even have to say anything. Still being pushed by Ezekiel, she turned around to look up at him. He was looking down at her, anxious and expecting a reply. One look from those blue eyes he had fallen in love with told him what he already knew. He could see that she felt sorry about her request giving him some hope that she would still come back round.

He nodded as she turned back round, head bowed in defeat, sorrow and regret as her hair formed a sort of curtain around her face.

"As soon as you're settled I'll go and get him. He's still here with Beth. She was looking after you and they both wanted to be here when you woke up"

"Thank you"

Her voice was weak and quiet. She was truly grateful to have Ezekiel by her side, even if she was treating him like shit. He still insisted on giving her everything she needed, even to the point where he was willing to let her have space for the moment just while she found her feet.

As promised, as soon as Carol was settled Ezekiel set out to find Daryl. It didn't take long considering that he and Beth were 1.Always together and 2.Always surrounded by a group of children who delighted in Beth's reading, teaching, playing and singing. He had overheard a few people say that she served as the filler for the gap Carol's absence had left which had cause him to abruptly walk away. They had been talking about her as if she was gone for good, as if she had been one of Alpha's victims. He hadn't wanted to leave her side in the first place, only being forced to for the funerals that everyone had been there for, but after that moment he hadn't left her side. He wouldn't admit to her that he hadn't even attended Henry's funeral, instead watching from the window that overlooked the gardens. The people's conversation had struck a nerve deep inside of Ezekiel that had made a scenario replay over and over in his head, in which he had no son, no wife and no daughter.

As it was he wasn't sure if he had lost one or two of those things. Only time would tell.

The door was shut on Daryl and Carol, and from the other side he could hear Carol start to talk, only to be stopped by the tears that finally came. He could hear the shuffle of the bed as Daryl no doubt sat beside her, letting her lean on him and provide the comfort Ezekiel wished could come from him. He hadn't meant to intrude, but the change in Carol's demeanour had completely changed the second Daryl walked into the room and Ezekiel left. It had left him paralyzed out in the hall, fighting the urge to hit or throw something. Carol wasn't the only one who could feel so much anger it scared him. He could too, though it only ever came after a plethora of things had happened.

Alpha, seeing his friends on the pikes. Seeing his son. Collecting the heads and the bodies, pairing them up to prepare them for burial like some sort of sick jigsaw puzzle. The journey back, hearing the heads and bodies shuffle in the cart. Seeing Carol's reaction and feeling the way she froze under his touch and his pet name, then she passed out and the people basically rendered her pretty much dead already. She woke up and treated him like it was his fault, all the fear and the anger inside of her winning against her better judgement and the person she used to be. Then the way she was with Daryl compared to him.

Daryl had been there when they found their friends had he not? Why did she react this way with Ezekiel, when with Daryl she couldn't have been more eager to share her ailments? That was the final thing to make him crack.

Like he said, it took a lot to make him so full of anger he could only just see straight.

He walked away from the door. He yearned to be close to her, to his daughter, but she didn't want or need him. That thought was too much and he could no longer see straight. If he couldn't be with her then he needed to get as far away as possible. Outside, away from the people and the issues and separation that loomed around the house he shared with her.

No one asked where he was going. They could see that such a stupid question would get them nowhere. In his peripheral vision he could see Jerry, his ever faithful steward, start to make his way towards him but Nabila held him back, able to ready his body language much more than Jerry could. Or maybe he just didn't want to believe his King was teetering on the edge of insanity, because that's what it felt like to Ezekiel. Insanity. That was the only way to describe what was taking over him. Every person kept their distance, some even taking a step back at his brisk walk and the determination in his eyes. He was being watched for all the wrong reasons and he couldn't care less. Yes, insanity. That was the only way he could explain the way he was behaving, the way he was making the people worry about his welfare. He had already tried to avoid that. Now he couldn't care less about anything.

After about three hours the sky was starting to become hazy as the sun began to set. Ezekiel had calmed down considerably and felt as though he was now in a state where he welcomed the distraction The Kingdom provided him. He could also see how stupid it had been to leave unaccompanied with nothing more than the dagger he always kept close, with no one knowing where he had gone unless they decided to track him, by which time it could be too late. Confident in the fact that he could make it back to The Kingdom before the hour was out he started heading in the right direction, eager to be surrounded by his people. He may have been out for three hours, but even in his infuriated state he seemed to have enough common sense not to go too far from The Kingdom.

He stopped, hearing the all too familiar groan of walkers. That was no problem in itself, he had already dealt with a few, but even by the sound he could tell that they were close and there was a great many of them, certainly too many for him to deal with by himself with nothing more than a dagger to protect him. He would have just waited where he was, but he could hear a few making their way to him. Luckily they were actually the dead. He could hear whispers too. But they hadn't seen him. Not yet.

Silently, Ezekiel made his way up the closest tree, shrouded in the leaves that offered him protection from both the dead and the living pretending to be the dead. He could keep an eye on them from his perch in the treetops, but that wasn't what retained his attention. The sun was setting, giving way to shades of orange, yellow and pink before the darkness of the night took over.

His mind was drawn back to their wedding night.

* * *

_Every member of The Kingdom had shown up to give their congratulations to The King and Queen, and their friends had travelled from Alexandria, Hilltop and Oceanside the previous night to do the same thing. If they needed to, they had room to put up their friends for the night for they would rather be slightly cramped for one night than send them out into the danger darkness presented, for it was starting to get late yet no one showed any sign of wanting to leave. Well, everyone except for the bride herself who couldn't be found by anyone. Well, other than Ezekiel. He hadn't seen her sneak away but he had seen where she ended up, keeping his eyes on her even when talking to others._

_It was right then and there he realised that there was something more to be learnt about the woman he just married than originally thought._

_Even in her dress Carol had made her way up one of the tallest trees in The Kingdom, just watching the sky as if the starts were putting on a show exclusively for her. Climbing the tree in his suit posed a sort of challenge making him wonder how and why she had done it in her dress, but once he reached the branch she was sat on it was worth it and he would have done it wearing anything as long as it got him closer to her. He sat on the branch closest to hers, putting him slightly higher than her but pretty much right next to her. She took her eyes away from the sky, instead focusing her gaze on him, a warm, overjoyed smile replacing the ponderous look she had a minute ago._

_Despite having spent most of the day with her, Ezekiel was still taken aback by her beauty. Her shoulder length hair had been pulled half up half down, two plaits weaved with small wildflowers picked by Hershel and Judith being held in place at the back by one of the smaller Cherokee roses she had brought back from wherever. He had yet to ask her about that. The dress had been gifted to her by Maggie, Beth and Enid who had made her morning very interesting indeed. If she had learnt one thing, it was that a lack of opportunities to get dressed up had set a screw loose in their minds that had caused them to go a little mad with this newly presented chance to do just that. Carol and Judith had sat, stunned, as they, and most of the other women Carol had known for years and never expected to care about such things as hair, dresses, nails and makeup, fussed over every little detail with their outfit and hers. If anyone had walked in while they were fussing around her they would have thought the women were trying to diffuse a bomb that was strapped to her and couldn't be removed. It was insane._

_The dress itself was simple. The bodice was fitted, but once you got to the waist it flowed effortlessly just above her knees, giving her the freedom of motion she very much appreciated. The straps hung loosely around her shoulders, ending at about mid arm and it was cut just low enough to show a hint of cleavage, something that she was sceptical about at first but after seeing herself in the mirror, ready to walk down the aisle, and then seeing the way Ezekiel looked at her she could imagine nothing being different. The shoes had been harder, but they'd managed. Maggie, Beth and Enid knew they were pushing it with the dress and the fussing over makeup and such, something they hadn't been so successful in for no way was Carol going to wear makeup. Not now, not ever. But despite this they knew they would have no hope with getting Carol to wear heels. They contemplated getting Judith to ask instead, for there were very few moments where Carol said no to the child, especially when she begged like the true princess she was, but they had decided against it. It wouldn't be fair and they had a feeling Carol would have said no anyway. When they asked her later she only confirmed their suspicions. Instead they had found a pair of white flats which Carol had fallen in love with. They reminded her of a pair she had owned a long time ago, which in turn had made her tear up at the memory of a toddler Sophia wearing them, insisting that they fit and she was just like her mummy. That's when they had gifted the necklace Ezekiel had made. It was one of the plastic baubles that had adorned Sophia's hair tie placed on a piece of black cord, allowing her to always have the last thing of Sophia's safe and close._

_Now the shoes stood at the base of the tree and Carol was subconsciously fiddling with her necklace, rolling the bauble between two of her fingers. Her hair blew in front of her face because of the soft evening breeze and it was clear that, even behind the smile she held for her husband and only her husband, she had something on her mind. But he would leave it for now. She would tell him, when the time was right. It didn't go unnoticed that one hand was placed over her stomach while the other one played with what once belonged to Sophia, making his heart leap a little. Perhaps, just maybe, she was pregnant. But he would keep that to himself. If she was then this would officially be the best day of his life, as if it wasn't already, but if she wasn't then he would most likely make her feel guilty for giving him false hope without realising it._

_"And why is my wife sat in a tree when her friends are looking for her?"_

_"Wife...that sounds strange"_

_"Well if you prefer I could start calling you My Queen. How would you like that, My Queen?"_

_"Don't call me that"_

_She was smiling as she reprimanded him, only making him smile more. Carol stood up on her branch, using another for balance, making it so that she was more level with Ezekiel._

_"Well, you married me. I am a King. Unless I've forgotten all of my elementary history, I'm pretty sure that makes you a Queen. Who knows? The next celebration could be your coronation"_

_The mischief glowed brightly in his eyes. He knew there was no way in hell she would ever let him throw her a coronation, not unless it was a matter of life or death. Carol motioned for him to shuffle over so she could join him on the branch. She sat with her back against the trunk, straddling the branch and making it so that she was facing him. She smiled at him again, though he could tell there was still something bothering her. He decided to ask, hoping that she would tell him. _

_"You came up here to escape didn't you?"_

_She nodded._

_"Why?"_

_Carol could see that he wasn't hurt, something she knew she ran the risk of when she climbed up here. But at the same time she also knew that he understood her more than anyone in this world and would know that she just needed a break. Even so, she needed to say it. Not for his sake, not even for hers, but she did for somehow it made everything make more sense._

_"Well, I was talking with Michonne and Maggie about you-"_

_She was cut off by the way his head jolted so he was looking at her, rather than the setting sun that had held his attention while he listened to her talk. He had noticed that sometimes it was easier for her to talk when she wasn't being looked at, for she felt as though she was being watched. But he couldn't help it. Why had she been talking about him? Not so much why, to be fair, but more what had been said? He didn't voice as much. He didn't need to, A small smirk made its way to her face, cheeks flushing slightly red at the confession she would now have to make._

_"Maggie started it, and then dragged Michonne in to it. They're the only other ones to get married after the world ended, and Maggie was insistent on hearing about the wedding night and if either one of us had anything planned. One thing led to another and soon enough we were having a good old fashioned girl talk"_

_Ezekiel blushed bright red at what she was suggesting they talked about, making Carol's sides ache with laughter as she clutched at them as if they were going to split. OK, definitely one of the more embarrassing things to be admitting to your husband but it was worth it. She hadn't laughed this hard in ages and it was music to Ezekiel's ears, even if he was still in a state of shock. Finally Carol had calmed down and was able to gasp in enough air to talk, though her chest was still rising and falling heavily. She was still grinning though and her eyes sparkled with the embarrassment she had just cause him, knowing that he was fine with it._

_"Hey, take it as a compliment. They sure thought as much"_

_"What did you tell them?"_

_Did he really want to know?_

_"Later. But don't worry. From the sounds of it Glenn and Rick had nothing on you. Maggie and Michonne sure thought so"  
_

_The blush returned. But they had become side tracked and she still hadn't told him what was wrong. He didn't even need to point this out. She steered them in the right direction herself._

_"Anyway, we were laughing and Judith comes running over, nearly tripping over her own feet. It's then I realise I haven't really seen her other than that morning when I was surrounded by high school girls again"_

_He raised his eyebrow at that, but she shook her head letting him know that it was also a conversation for later._

_"She comes running up and I scoop her up, placing her on my hip. Michonne tells me I shouldn't have done that, that I should put her down because she's old enough to stand up or whatever. As if I care. She's my little ass kicker and she always will be. Then I _**do** _put her down because otherwise my lovely white dress would have been thoroughly ruined. I excuse myself to...umm...sort myself out"_

_She blushed. She would happily include Ezekiel in all girl talk conversations compared to having to talk to him about her period. He didn't mind, he had shown as much, and had even gone out on runs to get her things when they had run out and she was in too much pain to want to move too far from the comfort of their own home. He really was the best husband she could have asked for. But even still, she sometimes felt slightly self conscious when it came to talking about it which most likely stemmed from Ed making her feel ashamed about it when they were together. But Ezekiel wasn't Ed. He did everything she could have wished for and more, even when she didn't ask for it. Once he had come to bed extremely late for about three consecutive nights, making her worry about him. But then she started and once he had seen her hand go over her stomach as a sign of pain, he had rushed off somewhere. She hadn't seen him for the rest of the day but when he came home, he had something with him. It was a hot water bottle that he had figured out how to make himself, for most of the ones they had in The Kingdom were either being used or were on their last legs. Either way Ezekiel was not letting her use them. All of it combined had made her burst into tears, which is when he had pulled her close, only making her cry more. Hormones were a bitch, but what he had done was incredibly sweet. Not only had he figured out her cycle so he could get things ready, decreasing the level of awkwardness she would have to feel, but he had seen she suffered badly and found a way to personally fix the issue. He had even learnt her body language to figure out when she needed it._

_"I went back to them to see Maggie not looking to happy and she was watching Hershel intently, though she was still paying attention to Judith. Michonne was sort of warning her about something, but not really telling her off. Just letting her know that she shouldn't have done or said whatever she had said, y'know?"_

_He nodded. He had witnessed it himself, and now that he thought about it that was probably the last time he had seen Carol before finding her in the tree._

_"I ask what's wrong and both Maggie and Michonne just go '_nothing_', so it's obvious that they were talking about either you or me. But I ignore it. Maggie still looked a little upset about something so I turn my attention to that. I ask what's wrong, and that's when they both sort of freeze, knowing that in order to explain that they'd have to explain the other thing. They were clearly relieved when Judith asked if I could dance with her. Obviously I say yes, and once I'm certain they're not watching us I ask Judith what I had asked Michonne and Maggie, figuring that she would actually tell me. She shrugs her shoulders and bites her lip, just saying that her mommy told her not to tell me or 'Uncle Zeke' "_

_That was new and it made Ezekiel happier than it thought it would have done. Judith had always called him Ezekiel or The King, and he expected nothing more. Yes, he was with Carol and now they were married, but he never expected to be welcomed so whole heartedly into their close knit family, especially by the children who were slightly less welcome to change than the adults. Carol saw the smile on his face appear and it must have been a similar one that she had showed when Judith first said it. It was only made sweeter by the knowledge that Judith had called Ezekiel Uncle Zeke on her own accord. She hadn't been told to do it by Michonne or any other adult, she had seen that Ezekiel was now a part of their family and had shown as much by declaring him her uncle._

_Ezekiel was snapped out of his little joy filled bubble by the deep sigh Carol let out, her hand making its way to her stomach once more. At first he thought it as because of the usual bought of pain the first few days of her period brought her, but upon closer inspection the small action held so much more meaning than pain. He removed her hand from her stomach and took it in his, letting her pull away if she needed. But she didn't and instead laced her fingers with his as he brought her hand up to his lips and planted soft kisses on each of her knuckles. She still looked slightly troubled but the love he showed for her reflected in her own eyes and her demons had lessened for now._

_"I coaxed it out of her. She said that Michonne had told her not to repeat it to either of us in case it hurt our feelings, because she doesn't quite know if it's still a possibility for us or not. But Judith wants to know that, because now we're married, if we're going to have children. Her reasoning was that Michonne and Rick had RJ after they were married and Maggie had Hershel after she and Glenn were married. So I think, Ok, well that'll be the reason for Maggie's pained look and her motherly instinct being kicked into overdrive, but then I get to thinking...and....well...I really don't know if it is"_

_"It doesn't matter if we can or can't unless you want to"_

_"I suppose"_

_"Do you?"_

_"Do you?"_

_He grinned at her. Just knowing that she did was enough._

_"But don't feel bad. I want you to know that, if we can't, then that doesn't mean anything to me, OK? You're all I want and if that's all I'll ever get, then in my eyes I'll still have the world"_

_"Damn your Majesty you do have a way with words"_

_She leant over, tears silently streaming down her face, placing a soft kiss on his lips. When she pulled away he wiped the tears from her face and peppered kisses over each tear track, only making more fall._

_"I think we can you know"_

_"Hmm?"_

_"Yeah"_

_Her voice was soft, low. It was like the only people that existed was them, and in that moment everything could be lost by any sudden noise._

_"How come?"_

_She shrugged her shoulders and smiled, shuffling closer so that she could lean against him. He turned so that he was straddling the branch just like she was, and he wrapped his arms round her as she rested her head on his shoulder. The sun was now setting, illuminating the sky with beautiful colours. But nothing could compare to the beauty nestled into him, talking about the possibility of some day having a child._

_"Surely a dreamer could dare to dream of such a thing?"_

* * *

As he remembered that night five years ago, the empty feeling inside him grew into an ugly monster that could only be described as jealousy. Jealousy towards Daryl, a man he had once called his friend. That night had been the best of his life if you didn't count any of the nights that had taken place in the past couple of months. They had tried for a child for about two years before they gave up, simply accepting that it wasn't in the cards for them. It seemed like so long ago. So much had happened between then and now, not all of it good.

So, as Ezekiel sat alone in the tree watching the sunset, hiding from the living and the dead, tears streaming down his face, he had to accept one more thing.

Carol had pulled away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I was reading this back I sort of just thought 'What the hell is the point in this chapter?', but here it is anyway. What do you guys think? I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it (The flashback anyway). Thank you again for all your support!


	9. What I Want

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Kingdom can no longer be called a home but the journey couldn't have worse timing, much like their daughter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for not uploading for a while, but exam questions and writers block really don't mix. Thank you for being so patient!

**Spring was making its arrival. The bitter cold of winter had begun to die out and the cool warmth associated with spring now covered the world like a welcome blanket. The flowers and leaves had begun to grow back, and there wasn't a tree in sight that wasn't covered with blossom.**

**The people of The Kingdom had awoken bright and early to prepare for the day ahead; the marriage of their monarchs. There was plenty of work to be done and not one pair of hands remained idle, all of them determined to give their rulers the day they truly deserved.**

**Ezekiel woke to an empty bed. Maggie, Enid and Beth had insisted that it was bad luck for the bride and the groom to see one another before the wedding, so had dragged Carol away to bunk with them for the night. He's surprised she went along with it, but the wedding had brought a light, airy feeling around her that no one had remained ignorant to and it was when she felt like this that she was more likely to agree to do things. As it was, Carol was glad she went along with it. That night was one of the best she would ever have.**

**Four hours later and he was stood at the head of the aisle, eagerly awaiting the arrival of his bride. First came Judith, acting as flower girl, then Maggie and Hershel, Beth and Daryl, Enid and Alden. One by one the pairs made their way down the aisle until finally it was her. Henry had agreed to walk with his mother down the aisle as requested by Ezekiel, which was greatly appreciated by Carol. It took everything in her not to let the overjoyed tears to fall. **

**She was beautiful. Everything about her threatened to make his knees give way from beneath him. She reached the front of the aisle and the next thing he knew they were facing each other, exchanging vows, promising to love one another for ever. Then came the rings. Hershel carried them on a pillow, making them chuckle slightly at the intense concentration on his face as he focused intently on not falling over and losing the rings in the grass. When he reached them, Carol slipped the wedding band onto Ezekiel's finger. He reached for her ring but found it to be no longer there. It was there a minute ago, was it not?**

**Shouting. Lots and lots of shouting. Frantic. Panicked. What was happening? Carol. He had to get to Carol, to her and their daughter.**

**He was too late. He rounded the corner to find her outstretched beside the Cherokee roses, a group of walkers over her. They had dug deep into her stomach, a sure sign that he had not only lost his wife but also his daughter. He was completely, utterly alone.**

**The next thing he knew-**BANG!

"Shit!"

Ezekiel bolted upright, his sleep interrupted by a noise upstairs. Even if there hadn't been a noise he still would have woken from the nightmare, a common occurrence ever since their indefinite separation that was slowly becoming definite with each day that passed. They usually centred around Henry, Shiva, Benjamin or, more recently and easily the worst option, Carol and his daughter. It always ended the same. Carol would die, either leaving him utterly alone or raising his daughter by himself, her growing up to resent him because he couldn't save her mama. All of them were successful in waking him up, and after some there was no chance he would fall back to sleep, meaning that on occasion, his days had begun before the sun had yet to rise.

If Carol were beside him she would have been able to console him, reassure him that she and their daughter were fine. He would be able to see it for himself and eventually fall back to sleep by her side, but none of that was a possibility, not anymore. To begin with they had slept in the same bed, but after about a week he had to realise when enough was enough and give in. As such Ezekiel had been sleeping on the couch, leaving Carol the bed. If they insisted on keeping the gap between them, even as Carol grew larger with their child, there would be almost no room left. It was easier this way. Logically anyway. If they were thinking with their hearts it killed both of them. Because of this distance, Ezekiel would either awake and listen to a slight squeak or creak, indicating that she had moved in her sleep, or, when that didn't happen or wasn't enough to comfort him, he would go upstairs to their bedroom and open the door slightly, able to see the slow rise and fall of her chest for himself. He had managed to create a mental map of every single creaky floorboard so there was minimal risk of her waking. But, like always, he was lousy at hiding things from her.

About a month ago she had been woken on several different occasions because of their daughter who refused to be still for even a second. It was hopeless trying to get to sleep; it was just one of those nights. If Ezekiel had been there he would no doubt have stirred after hearing her scolding their daughter or feeling her kick for himself and would have pulled her close, peppering kisses all over her face which would make her laugh, only earning him a scolding similar to the one his daughter received because all the excitement had only made her kick harder. Then he would have placed one of his hands on her stomach, acting as an instant calming agent for their daughter which would have earned their daughter another scolding for only listening to her father who would be chuckling away at the multiple never ending battles between his wife and their child. It was something they had done before, when they still slept together, and it was something they both missed deeply. As it was they couldn't do that so whenever their daughter decided to wake Carol she would either just give in, accepting that she would have to run on little sleep the next day, or she would get out of bed and walk around slowly, soothing their daughter enough so that she would remain still long enough for Carol to get a decent night of sleep. This particular night was one of the ones where nothing worked, not even walking or anything else Ezekiel had done when he was still sleeping beside her. She had accepted that it would be a sleepless night when she had heard the door open, a familiar presence filling the room despite not even entering it. Carol could feel that she was being watched but she didn't care, for she knew that she was safe. When the door closed once more she rushed to it and opened it slightly as she caught Ezekiel sneaking back down the stairs under the illusion that she was still asleep. As multiple possibilities of what the hell he was doing flew through her mind, she found herself chuckling which she abruptly stopped. For one it would have given her away, and for another it shocked her. Actually shocked. She didn't know how to react to the way she had, well, reacted. For the past three months she hadn't laughed, she had barely smiled, but now she was in the presence of Ezekiel for about five seconds and here she was, chuckling.

This night was one where their daughter decided to raise holy hell, though it wasn't one where she had managed to keep quiet. She froze, knowing that Ezekiel had most likely heard her.

As soon as Ezekiel heard the bang, followed promptly by the swearing, he was practically jumping off the couch and running up the stairs. The only moment he took to pause was when he went to reach for the doorknob. Technically this was his room, but at the same time it wasn't. He couldn't just barge in, could he? He figured no and knocked instead, rather being safe than sorry.

The door opened slightly to reveal a very tired, very disgruntled and slightly guilty looking Carol.

"Did I wake you?"

He nodded slowly, the need for sleep evident in his face.

"Sorry" she muttered, truthfully enough.

"It's fine. Really. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Just stubbed my toe on the dresser. I honestly thought it was going to fall over, hence the swearing"

"And why were you up, walking in the middle of the night?"

"Your daughter thinks it's a very fun game to keep me awake. I think she knows I need sleep because she's trying extra hard to prevent me from doing so"

Her tone lightened considerably with the subject of their daughter. It was just about the only thing that brought a sparkle back to her eyes which he had only ever seen after their separation when she was with Judith. It was the sparkle of the woman she used to be, his Queen. Though now, if he thought about it, the contrast between the sparkle before and after they began talking about their daughter was not as great. Her eyes had lit up when she opened the door. When she saw him. If he thought about it even further, this was nothing new. There was a certain life brought back to her eyes every time she looked at him, something that had been happening for the past month or so. Ever since the night of the worst nightmare he had had, the night when he had watched her sleep for longer than he had done before. That was the same night he could have sworn he heard her awake, but when he looked up to see if he had truly been caught there was no one there. He had simply brushed it off as him mishearing things, but just maybe she had been watching him. Even before that night there had been some days where the shine would return, but after that night it had become somewhat of a permanent fixture.

By the way her left hand never left her back and her right her stomach, he could tell that there was more to the story she was telling him but given the most recent track record he didn't expect her to tell him what it was. The position itself was nothing new. Carol often had her hands on her back to help with support and pain, especially most recently, but there was something subtle about what she was doing now that heightened all his senses. It was one of the most subtle differences, almost to the point where he thought he was imagining it, but it was most definitely there if he focused hard enough. Something was wrong and, though she may not tell him, he still had to help. Apparently she had the same idea.

"Can you calm her?"

"What?"

"You know. You can always seem to calm her, and I really need her to do that right now, If we're leaving tomorrow, I need my sleep. If she's staying in there longer than I signed up for then she may as well let me sleep for Gods sake"

"Go and sit on the bed, make sure there's enough room so that I can sit behind you"

Carol nodded, not really worrying about asking what the hell he was doing. Yes, she had no clue, but at the same time she didn't care less as long as she would be able to sleep at the end of it.

Before continuing to the bed, Ezekiel walked over to the same dresser that had caused this whole ordeal to happen. He pulled out a plain white cotton shirt and turned round to find Carol staring at him intently from where she now sat on the bed, enough room behind her so that he could sit behind her, as instructed. Of course she noticed that he was bare chested, it was hard not to. It may have been winter but even so he seemed to be permanently warm, something that was extremely useful for Carol, who always seemed to be the exact opposite, even in the midst of summer. He always slept without a shirt so she was confused as to why he wanted to cover up, but then memories of when they first started sharing a bed together flashed across her mind, simultaneous with the guilt. Ezekiel didn't know where he stood with her. All because of the way she had acted. So, just in case she didn't want it that way, he was covering up. For her. Even when he was so unsure about their relationship he was still doing things for her.

"Don't look like that. You know full well why I'm putting this on, I can see it in your face. I don't know where I, where we, stand. I'd rather be covered up and have everything be fine that be bare chested and risk the small sliver we've regained over the past month"

"Well unless I was two weeks overdue with your child, I think I can point out a few differences from when we first slept together. If you feel more comfortable with that, then go ahead. I won't force you but I won't stop you, not if it's what you want"

Ezekiel smiled at the way she was speaking before slipping the shirt over his head. He walked over to the bed and positioned himself so that he was sat behind her, one leg dangling off the edge of the bed. The first thing he did was place both hands on her stomach to which she instantly relaxed. He could feel why she was up. Their daughter was kicking harder than she ever had done before, distorting her mother's stomach under the shirt she wore to bed. His shirt, he may add. Ezekiel went to lift up the shirt but stopped, not quite sure if he could do so anymore. Not without asking. But he needn't have worried for she turned to look at him, her eyes questioning as to why he had stopped, and once she located the source of the hesitation she took one of his hands in hers, guiding it up her shirt to rest directly on her stomach.

Carol leaned back into him, closing the rather unwanted gap between them. She had missed this more than she cared to admit, mainly because its absence was caused by her reaction to the death of their son. Ezekiel stiffened slightly, but one glance at him and a soft nod of his head told her that the involuntary reaction had been because this was something they hadn't done in a while, and not because it was unwanted. It was simply unexpected.

"Tell me again. Please. Tell me the plan"

"We leave just after sunrise to go to Alexandria. We do so because, while it would usually only take a few hours, the supplies and the people will slow us down considerably and it may well take a full day, it may even run into day number two. Then, if we have snow like last year, it will take the better part of the week. If we can't make it to Alexandria in time then we will divert to Hilltop as that marks the half way point, or just about. It's closer and, while they don't have as good a doctor as Alexandria-"

"Scrap that. They don't have a doctor full stop"

"Why?"

"I'm not exactly sure. I heard some people talking about it, but failed to press for details. Maybe Daryl knows. He was there only a week ago"

"Well, either way they have medical supplies and an infirmary. Beth should be making her way up there a similar time we are, so she'll be there to help. Things will be fine"

They had to leave because the pipes could no longer withstand the pressure that had ultimately been their downfall. They had held on for as long as possible, each day their daughter had yet to be born another day where they didn't dare leave 'just in case'. As it was their daughter had yet to make her appearance which was meant to be almost two weeks ago, and The Kingdom could no longer be called a home in its current state of disrepair. It was a risky journey but it was one they had to make.

Ezekiel could feel their daughter slow down slightly under his palm and Carol herself was starting to relax against his touch.

"Are you falling asleep?"

"I was until you spoke. And until she started playing with my bladder. _Again_"

"Go" he commanded, chuckling as he pointed towards the bathroom door. When she came back he could tell that she was sort of more relaxed but still just as tired.

"Is the princess any calmer?"

Her arms were crossed against her chest and she raised an eyebrow at him, making him aware of how stupid that question was. Of course she was calmer. Ezekiel was there.

"Fine. Let me rephrase that. Is she calm enough so that you can sleep now?"

"For the moment, yes. And you? Will you be able to go back to sleep?"

"I will, now that I know you two are safe"

Carol moved to the other side of the bed, pulling back the covers so that she could get back in to bed and hopefully get some sleep before having to wake up and start the dreaded journey to Alexandria. Ezekiel stood up from the bed and made his way towards the door, pausing as he lay his hand on the doorknob.

"If you need me for anything, come and get me. And I mean anything. Especially if it gets any worse"

"If what gets any worse?"

"You know what I mean"

"OK. I will. I promise"

"Good"

Leaving her that night was one of the hardest things Ezekiel had ever done. He thought. As it turned out, the morning was worse.

He had been awake for about an hour before Carol came down the stairs, already in multiple layers to combat the cold. She was clearly in the same level of discomfort as last night, though she didn't appear to be quite as tired which was a huge improvement in Ezekiel's eyes. But the sparkle was duller. They had taken two steps forward last night, but in the past few hours she had managed to take three back. He should have expected it, for this was how it always was, but he was still disheartened. Last night had felt different. Apparently not to her.

Ezekiel saw the hand resting on the banister grip it slightly harder as her knuckles turned slightly white with the added pressure. He couldn't tell whether it was much worse than last night, but all the same he could feel his heart going a million miles an hour.

"I'm fine" she said through controlled breaths, not quite managing to convince him.

"You sure?"

She nodded. "I'm only uncomfortable. This could last for another week and you know it. There's no need to worry" she said, her tone softening considerably as she reached the end of her sentence, seeing how worried he was about her.

"Hmm. I'll take your word for it. You've done this before so you obviously know best. We need to leave in a few minutes. Here, take this"

He extended his arm towards her, offering up one of his layers so that she could be warmer.

"I don't need that. We agreed that we would both have the same amount of layers"

"It has gotten colder overnight, much colder than we predicted. You're always colder than me, even when it's relatively warm outside. If not for you-"

"For her. I know" she said softly. Then, almost in a whisper, "Thank you"

Carol was more grateful than he knew. The truth was she was cold, far colder than she cared to admit, particularly now that she no longer have his body warmth beside her in the bed. Besides, it was one of the coats he had owned for a while rather than one of the new ones they had picked up on a run and it smelt like him. He noticed the way she seemed to relax slightly once she had it on, and he knew her well enough to know that it wasn't just because she would be warmer. Maybe she had only taken two steps back, rather than three.

Usually Carol would have insisted on walking, but seen as she was with Ezekiel and Daryl she figure she didn't have a chance in hell of getting her own way. Even Jerry seemed to have an argument all ready to try and convince her to remain seated. It was most likely more effort to argue than to just comply, so that is what she did. For once Ezekiel was glad that she would listen to Daryl for, truthfully, he didn't quite know whether he would win against her. Daryl may have been with them, but Beth wasn't because she was being trained as a doctor in Alexandria, much like Enid had been. This meant that possibly the only person that could deliver their Princess wasn't with them, which didn't particularly fill either of them with much hope for the journey ahead.

Throughout the entire journey Carol remained seated as promised. She couldn't have walked if she wanted, not without the risk of falling. She wouldn't admit it to Ezekiel but the discomfort had recently started to transition to a pain she was all too familiar with. Ezekiel would occasionally look over to check up on her. He couldn't ask her outright because it was most likely she would keep her mouth shut and they also ran the risk of someone hearing what they had to say, which would just cause the whole journey to be far more tiring and restless than originally planned. When he looked over she would either be scanning the road around them for danger or she would be running her hands over her stomach, her entire stature completely changed. Those were the times when he seriously though he was going to call the whole thing off, just leave his people with Jerry and Daryl in charge and take Carol to Hilltop, just the two of them. He would carry her if he needed to. No one else had noticed their Queen's discomfort, not yet, which was just about the only good thing about the situation.

The journey had been relatively easy so far. The roads were clear and the snow was only light, allowing them to make good time. It was hard with the sheer amount of supplies and people, particularly the younger ones, but if they continued at that pace they would have made it to Alexandria by the next day, definitely Hilltop by the end of this one. But of course they couldn't have that. The universe was not that kind. The snow became harder and faster in seemingly seconds causing them to slow down considerably. Ezekiel knew they couldn't travel much farther, but pushed it nonetheless. Even a little progress was still progress.

He let out the largest sigh of defeat when one of his people called out to him.

"Your Majesty, we cannot continue in this weather. It's not safe, especially for the young ones. We need to rest"

Ezekiel scanned the area, hoping that it would look familiar, even under the thick blanket of snow that was quickly consuming the world around them. Thankfully it did, but not for good reasons. It was a last resort but if they didn't at least try it was guaranteed that there would be loss, and he wasn't in a particularly risk taking mood, not with Carol the way she was.

"I know where we can go. It will be shelter for the night and perhaps we could try to get warm. It's only a half hours walk from here, maybe an hour in this snow"

"What's it called?"

"The Sanctuary"

He could see Daryl and Carol jolt their heads sharply in his direction and their bodies tense. Unlike the people of The Kingdom, they knew every little excruciating detail of what happened with Negan and The Saviours. Ezekiel also knew more than he ever wished to know about the whole ordeal and didn't want to go back but at the end of the day there was no choice. It was better than freezing to death. He gave an apologetic look towards the pair and shrugged his shoulders letting them know he felt the same way. Even Jerry's usual cheery demeanour seemed forced for the sake of his children.

Before they left for The Sanctuary they rested. They had been going almost non-stop since that morning, and the people needed a break to regain both physical and mental strength. It wouldn't be long until they reached The Sanctuary but Ezekiel had no idea what the roads would be like and figured that a break would be for the best. And he would be lying if he said he had no ulterior motives.

"I'm sorry about this. We have no choice"

"I'm fine" she said, telling the truth about The Sanctuary but not her overall mood. Carol was still sat, squirming in her seat, and her hand was running over her stomach . She wasn't in immense pain, it was just uncomfortable with slight bouts of pain not too different from cramps. Even so, it meant she had progressed since that morning and that was enough for Ezekiel's world to practically crumble around him. But he had to keep it together, for everyone's sake.

"How much worse?"

"Not out here, we agreed"

"No one is around us so it's very doubtful anyone will hear our conversation. So, how much worse?" His tone was demanding and stern, telling her that he meant it when he said he wanted to know.

"Not enough for us to worry about"

"Carol, never bullshit a bullshitter"

The next thing she knew Ezekiel was calling off the break and making everyone move earlier than they thought they would have done. He could see right through her and wasn't having any of it.

When they arrived at The Sanctuary all the people's hopes were dashed away. It was in worse state that The Kingdom. Several of the lower windows had been smashed meaning that some of the floor was wet from the lack of protection against the snow and rain. It also meant that it was a lot colder than it would have been and also harder to heat. There were a few couches that could be used as beds as well as several blankets that could be paired with the many blankets they had salvaged from The Kingdom to provide extra warmth.

The first thing they did was patch up the windows with everything and anything they could find, quickly followed by the creation of four fires in barrels spread around the room in an attempt to warm the room. After a while the room was showing some semblance of warmth, so much so that a few of the people had started to remove some of their outer layers.

Once he was happy that his people had settled in, Ezekiel scanned the room hoping to find Carol near one of the fires. He was dismayed to find she wasn't, but the removal of her outer layers told him that she didn't need the extra warmth the fire would provide. She was sat on the steps overlooking their people, though she clearly wasn't paying attention to anything they were doing. Ezekiel went and sat beside he, hoping to finally take at least one step forward without taking any back.

When Ezekiel walked over to her and sat down, Carol's heart was running a million miles and hour. She had so much she needed to say to him, but every time she went to say it a lump formed in her throat and the words never came. But as it was, they were sort of running out of time. It was now or never.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, all things considered. From what I can tell nothing has progressed in the past few hours. She seems to have calmed down for now"

Carol could see that he wanted to ask something but didn't know whether to voice it or keep it to himself. She decided to push her own thoughts to the back of her mind in order to focus on his.

"If there's something you want to ask, you can you know? I don't mind"

"Does it hurt? Bad, I mean. What does it feel like?"

She smiled at him before resting her head on his shoulder, her tone cheery and level to try and combat the embarrassment on his face for asking what he felt should have been an obvious question.

"If you'd have asked me that the first time round, I would have said it hurt like hell. But now I know that things only get worse so for now, I consider this to be more uncomfortable than anything though it is starting to hurt a little. And they feel a little like cramps, only worse as they progress. And it always seems to effect my back, sort of like an ache that never goes away but flares up with each one...fuck"

"What?"

There were daggers in her eyes as she sat up, removing her head from his shoulder. Her breathing became more controlled as she arched her back, one hand running over her stomach and the other taking place at the base of her spine. Ezekiel placed his hand on her back and rubbed it, making her relax slightly as some of the pain was dulled by his movements. His other hand joined hers on her stomach, and he was surprised at what he felt. Rather than it being soft to the touch, the occasional movements of their daughter evident beneath his palm, it was almost rock hard, their daughter kicking for all she was worth. She managed to chuckle slightly as his reaction which only made her wince in pain.

"That fun huh?" he said, once he saw that she had relaxed and could feel for himself that her stomach had returned to its usual state.

"Uh huh. That was definitely worse than last time, but not by too much. She must know that you were near, wanted to meet her father. I must say, she's already developed you're bad sense of timing"

Carol smiled up at him before resting her head on his shoulder again, this time accompanied by his arm that wrapped itself round her waist and rested on her stomach, holding her close to him.

"Can we talk?"

Her voice was soft and almost at a whisper, protecting their conversation from the world whilst also telling him what she wanted to talk about. Ezekiel had hoped that this would be coming for some time now, but now that it was here he wasn't completely sure on what to do or how to react. Granted, there were at least three things he could think of that were completely different than as to how he imagined this moment in his head, but that ultimately didn't matter. Not really. This was happening, hesitation or no.

"Sure"

"When I mean talk, I mean I talk and you listen. If you start talking I don't think I'll be able to finish"

"That's fine. I understand what you mean"

Ezekiel could feel her take a deep breath before she continued, no doubt filled with much more uncertainty than he was.

"When Lydia came rushing in and said she couldn't find Henry, I knew right then and there that everything would change. I was so scared. It was like my whole world was being shrouded in darkness, but then when I looked at you there was a small glimmer of light and it was like you could take all my problems away. But then you came back the next day and it was confirmed, and from then on it was like you were the problem. Every time I looked at you I saw Alpha and I saw Henry. I just felt so angry I didn't know what I was going to do or say. So I put distance between us to protect you, to save you from what I could say and do. I didn't want to see you hurt. But pulling away just made everything so much worse. I missed you. Dear God I missed you so much. Every time I saw you I felt like running over and just ending the separation, but I was still so angry I thought that giving you false hope wouldn't be fair. But Zeke, you should know that there has not been a day go by when I haven't missed you, I've missed us. And God knows I've messed up but never this bad and never to this extent. But I'm hoping you could forgive me. And just deal with me while I figure out what is for the best. Please"

There was silence between the two of them before Carol pulled away from Ezekiel's shoulder, using her hand to force him to look at her. For the first time in forever he was at a loss for words, too overwhelmed and unsure for words to form. He searched her eyes for any signs of her faltering or changing or mind but managed to find nothing. She was smiling at him but after witnessing his reaction, or lack there of, her smile faded and was replaced by a look of concern. It was another minute or so before Ezekiel stood up and spoke, his back still to her.

"Let me know when you figure out what you think is best, and hopefully we can finally recover what used to be ours. If it is truly not to be, then I will admit defeat"

Ezekiel started to walk away, as much as it pained him to do so. Three steps away and he was stopped. He turned round to find Carol grabbing onto his arm, practically pulling him back, a look of shame and guilt on her face that was half covered by her hair that had fallen out of place as she bowed her head.

"Wait. I've already figured out what I want. It hurts too damn much to see it walk away"

With that she reached up and finally gave the kiss they had both desperately wanted for some time. She melted into his arms as they wrapped around her, one hand cupping the side of her face to draw her in closer. They broke apart abruptly as Carol rested her head on Ezekiel's chest, pressing herself against him. He could feel the familiar hardness of her stomach return as he moved his hand to her back, offering relief and support. Once it was over she pulled away to find his eyes, not daring to let go. They could hear the people of The Kingdom cheering at the sight of their monarchs back together, and eventually they were relaxed enough to snigger at some of the comments being thrown around by the people.

"Do you think they realised something was wrong?"

"No. I don't think they're capable of seeing anything else except for what just happened"

"Oh well. It is what it is"

"What happened to not in public?"

"Maybe it's the fact that we have bigger problems, or maybe it's because I've seen how close I can get to losing you. I don't want that to happen again. I would happily do everything in public if it meant being with you"

"Everything?" He said, raising an eyebrow and earning him a light hit on the upper arm.

"Shut up. Now, if your Princess really is making her royal arrival which is looking more and more likely, I need sleep. But please don't tell anyone why I'm going to bed so early, not even Jerry. He can't keep a secret to save his life.

"I know. I don't want people to know just as much as you don't"

Ezekiel was smiling down at her, which was understandable. They were officially back together and, while nothing was technically guaranteed. it felt as though they were stronger than before.

"Will you stop grinning like a mad man. You're going to give us away" she warned, but smiling just as much as he was.

"I am not sorry in the slightest milady. I can't wait to finally meet her. I hate that it's now, that it's here, but I can't wait"

"It might not be here. If we're lucky"

"Maybe"

It was an empty hope, one that both of them knew wouldn't come true. Carol placed a soft peck on his cheek before making her way down to where she would sleep. She had been gifted one of the comfortable couches, not just by Ezekiel, but by the entire Kingdom. She was grateful for such, as her back was hurting as it was and a night spent sleeping in a nest of blankets would only worsen the pain and make her more uncomfortable. It did mean that her and Ezekiel couldn't sleep together, but they hadn't done that for quite some time so it made little difference. Despite them having broke down the wall, neither one was entirely sure whether they would want to be side by side tonight anyway. They needed one final night to think. After that though things would no doubt return to normal, something that was sorely missed by both of them.

Ezekiel decided to take his place in the first watch. He wanted to make the people feel safe but it also gave him the perfect opportunity to think about everything that had happened. He often found himself staring at where Carol slept, rather than scouting the area for any potential danger. Relieved was not a strong enough word to describe what Ezekiel felt when Daryl took his place, allowing him to return to his 'bed' for the night. Ezekiel had given up the chance to sleep comfortably so that another could do so instead, so was forced to sleep in a rather uncomfortable nest of blankets on the floor. He could have slept in the back of one of the empty wagons, away from the cold damp floor, but yet again there was someone who needed it more than him so he had given up that chance too.

Carol wasn't as close to him as Ezekiel would have liked, but she was close enough. If there was any danger he could be near her in less than ten steps, and if things progressed during the night she could easily wake him without alerting to any of the others as to what was happening. Everyone had left the monarchs alone, putting a larger gap between them that what was between Carol and Ezekiel. If either one needed the other, they could do so.

If it weren't for the dying embers of the fire, it would have been pitch black when Ezekiel woke. The darkness meant it would have taken a while for Ezekiel to adjust if it weren't for two concerned members of The Kingdom speaking in rushed, worried tones. They were the ones who had woken him, not sure what else to do. As far as they were concerned, this was a new development. Ezekiel knew of course that this was not the case, but he felt just as much panic as they did, if not more.

"Your Majesty, we apologise for waking you but it's urgent. We were changing shifts when we noticed The Queen. She has not yet woken, but after some time surveying her it is evident that even in slumber she is in pain. We fear-"

"That she has gone into labour", he interrupted.

They nodded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think? Only one more chapter to go and we are done!


	10. She's Here

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The birth of Carol and Ezekiel's daughter is finally here

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By some sort of Christmas miracle I have managed to finish this before things get too hectic at school with the weeks leading up to Christmas break. 
> 
> Final chapter! Hope you enjoy!

"Find as many clean, dry blankets as you can and bring them over to us. Ensure they're not on the floor. Make the fires as big as possible for it's getting colder. If we're beginning to feel the cold again, then The Princess will be able to feel it much worse and we can't afford that. After that leave us until further notice"

"Yes Your Majesty"

They rushed away, getting help from anyone else who was awake, either from being on watch or not being able to sleep due to them presently taking shelter in the place that once housed their biggest enemy who had cost them many lives. Despite the war ending about seven years ago, the fear still ran deep in the hearts of many. Ezekiel walked over to Carol who was still asleep like the men had said, though it was to no surprise that her brow was furrowed slightly and she was fidgeting in her sleep. He brought his hand up to his face, rubbing his temples until he stood frozen by the sound of her voice, barely audible but there.

"Zeke? Are you there?"

He crouched down so that he was level with her, her eyes opening to expose the pain, excitement and fear in those bright blues. She smiled softly at him, clearly still tired and wanting sleep after being woken with the pain of their daughter's arrival. His hand found hers and they laced their fingers together, their hands taking place on her stomach where their daughter was kicking for all she was worth

"I'm here My Queen. There's no need to worry. I have people getting things ready for her"

"Thank you. That helps more than you know. Just, thank you" she said, the smile still gracing her face despite everything that was going on.

"I do not see it as something to be thanked. I have already failed the both of you by not being able to provide somewhere decent for her to be born so it's the least I could do. And I should be the one thanking you. You're about to do something completely amazing"

"There's nothing amazing about it. It's painful and exhausting and all your fault" she pouted, making him chuckle. He could see that she was just as excited as he was and knew from what Carol had told him about Sophia's birth there were moments she found completely wonderful, though of course the pain was like nothing else on earth.

"Well I think it's one of the most amazing things you could ever do. What you're about to do, what you've already done. All of it. Everything is wonderful and I can't find the words to thank you enough. I love you"

"I love you too"

Carol sat up and used her hand resting on Ezekiel's shoulder to pull him closer, placing a kiss on his lips before resting her forehead against his, focusing on his breathing before things would progress and all sense of calm would be gone. Ezekiel could feel her brow furrow against his and her grip on his shoulder tighten, her breathing becoming very controlled as her stomach hardened against the place where his palm now lay. His other hand made its way to her back, pulling her close while providing support and relief. She let out a small whimper of pain which broke his heart in two, but what was he expecting? Of course she'd be in pain, and it would only get worse from here. Once the contraction passed she relaxed, though not fully, pulling away from him and standing up, causing him to leap up in protection. She laughed at him a little. He was too overprotective of her and their daughter but after everything they'd been through it was understandable. Besides, it was sweet and only made her heart grow fonder.

"I'm fine, but I kinda need to pee. I'll be back in a minute"

"Hmm, OK. I'll let you go. But don't be having that baby until you come back, got it?"

"Yes Your Majesty" she teased, bringing a smile to both their faces. She placed a soft kiss on the tip of his nose before walking in the direction of the toilets. Ezekiel looked up to find Daryl staring intently at Carol as if he could protect her using just his gaze from the run that he was stood on, keeping watch. He was glad to see Daryl still up (he didn't know how he was going to wake him if he wasn't), though the thankfulness ended when he noticed Jerry was still out like a light. That was a hurdle he'd have to deal with later.

He made his way up to Daryl while still waiting for Carol to come back. It hadn't even been a minute since she left the room, but with everything going on it felt like an eternity.

"I take it you've heard"

"That she's in labour? Yeah. Noticed it back on the road"

"You could tell?"

Daryl nodded, eyes still transfixed on the door Carol had exited and had yet to come back through. "Yeah. Somethin' was up with 'er, then when I saw her hand on 'er stomach and that fake ass smile of hers that she uses to cover up pain I figured it out. Was there somethin' you wanted?"

"Yes actually there was. The people, they can get a bit excited over things. Something like this" he said, waving his hand in the air towards nothing in particular, "I hate to imagine. No one would want that whilst giving birth, let alone Carol. Would you mind making sure that the people keep their distance and just answer their questions. Jerry will do the same once I've woken him, but he can do the talking if you don't want to"

"Nah. It's fine. He won't know jack shit about what's going on if he's been asleep. I can talk, if that's what she needs"

"Thank you"

"No problem. Anything for her"

Ezekiel gave a nod of his head before making his way down to where Jerry was sleeping. His faithful steward was less than eager to be woken up and Ezekiel was only a few seconds away from physically dragging him away from the back of the wagon he slept in with Nabila and their children when he felt Carol's presence beside him. She leant over and whispered something in Jerry's ear that soon had him sitting up and hopping down from the back of the wagon with a look of fear and excitement on his face, throwing on clothes more appropriate for work and making his way over to Daryl to figure out what they were going to do once the sun rose, the people alongside it. The look Daryl made it obvious that figuring out a game plan was one of the last things he wanted to do, but he went along with it. If it would help Carol he would do it.

Out of the corner of his eye, Ezekiel could see Carol double over in pain and felt her hand reach out blindly to grip onto his arm for support. He had been timing the contractions ever since he had woken up and this one was a little under 7 minutes after the previous one. From what he could remember, active labour was marked by contractions being around 3 minutes apart. That meant that it could be hours before they met their daughter, particularly seen as she had technically been in labour for about two or three days before she even reached this point.

She relaxed into his arms before standing upright, determined in her intentions. Carol pulled Ezekiel along with her as she began walking slowly around the room careful not to disturb the people who were still sleeping. The sun was beginning to rise as it was, they didn't need to prematurely wake anyone.

As they walked they spoke, taking her mind off the pain and also rebuilding broken bonds. They hadn't spoken in so long and it was refreshing to do so, no matter what the circumstances.

"What did you say to Jerry to make him move so quickly? I couldn't have gotten him up if I said we were being attacked from all sides"

He could see her smile as she remembered Jerry's reaction. By the wicked glint in her eye he could see that it was exactly what she had wanted.

"I told him that I was in labour. That didn't wake him up, so I said that he could either do as you asked or deliver the baby himself. That was what got him up"

"He probably thought you meant it"

"Well, if he wasn't going to listen to his King I thought he would listen to his labouring Queen. Most likely thought I wasn't in the mood to be messing with him"

"And what if it had come to that? Would you let him deliver our Princess?". His question turned the tone of the conversation to a more serious one since he realised the gap between contractions were becoming shorter and shorter indicating the imminent arrival of their daughter coming closer and closer.

She shrugged her shoulders as they walked towards the couch she had slept on, flopping down onto it once they reached it. Carol was exhausted from hours of walking and couldn't be bothered to do so any more. Once she had gotten comfortable she answered his question, the expression on her face telling him that she didn't even need to think about it.

"I mean, I guess. If it came to it, yeah, I would let him deliver her. I wouldn't have a choice. Even back before this, the one thing you very quickly learn in childbirth is you take what you can because you just can't predict anything. But as it is he won't have to deliver her. You were right"

"About what?"

"All those months ago when you first found out I was pregnant, you said-"

"That I would deliver her if it came to it" he finished, remembering that night. It was one of the happiest of his life and he meant what he said, which was lucky because, well, here they were.

"Yeah. You were right. You kind of have to help deliver her"

"May I say I told you so?"

She chuckled, leaning her head back as she traced patterns over her stomach, knowing to expect another contraction soon. Then she jolted her head back up, glaring at him with daggers in her eyes.

"No you may not say you told me so. She's doing that for you, already doing your dirty work. She's already inherited your timing so I don't see why she's making it harder by trying to please you. And she's making her presence known. Also...like...her...father"

By the way she spoke and the way she leant her head back, her hair a flowing waterfall down the back of the couch, he could tell that another contraction had hit. That made it five minutes between them. It must have been four hours since Ezekiel was woken by the two men, so two minutes in four hours didn't seem like much. It was terrifying nonetheless.

Unlike the previous contractions that had felt pretty much the same if you took away the increasing pain, this one felt different. By the time Carol realised why it was too late and the seat around her became increasingly wet before she had a chance to move. She kicked herself for not moving but found that overall she didn't care that much, not really. Out of all the problems they had to worry about, a wet couch was way at the bottom of the list. She attempted to stand up by herself but Ezekiel was soon by her side when he realised what she was doing.

"What do you want? I'll get it for you, just stay there"

"I'm not remaining sat. I feel restless, and now the seat is wet which will only make me cold"

"And who's fault is that?" he teased, raising an eyebrow at her as she playfully narrowed his eyes at him.

"Yours" She challenged, taking her turn to raise an eyebrow back at him. Ezekiel laughed at his wife's answer; even in what could only be described as one of the most terrifying situations they've ever been in, she was still able to remain calm and act like she would be doing if this weren't going on. Her calmness also helped to keep him calm. He had no doubt that if it weren't for her sub consciously grounding him he would definitely be a lot more frantic, a fact Carol had no doubt it either."If it weren't for you none of this would be happening. And I was getting up to get my clip from the bag. I don't really want my hair down, not anymore. I just need it out the way"

Ezekiel nodded in understanding and left her side, making his way over to the bag she had packed for just the two of them. In doing so he realised they had neglected to pack any of the baby stuff but he wouldn't mention that to her, not yet. It was a problem they could deal with later. Pulling out the clip he handed it over to her, and by the time he was stood straight once more her hair was already neatly tucked away from her face and off her back, making her more comfortable and removing the rather unwelcome nuisance at this point in time.

Carol insisted on walking, much against Ezekiel's protests. She found it harder to do so and they took many more breaks but she refused to sit. If anything it would only make her more uncomfortable and restless for there wasn't as much to take her mind off of what was happening.

The people of The Kingdom had begun to rise, and as news of what was happening spread amongst them they seemed to wake in almost a domino effect. People were being shook awake by their friends and family so they too could witness what had been happening for the past few hours. Jerry and Daryl were already setting invisible boundaries and distances whilst answering any questions the people had. Carol was now stood with her back against Ezekiel's chest, Ezekiel's back facing the people so that she would be shielded from their watchful eyes. She hadn't asked him to do so for she hadn't even realised people were beginning to wake up, but he had and was no way in hell going to let them see her when she was like this. If he could protect her from their gaze he would. Even though they couldn't see their Queen, their murmurs and excited talk was turned to silence as she let out a pained cry that filled the room, stopping the swaying rhythm that her and Ezekiel had gotten into as the pain increased. After that the people began to disperse, suddenly feeling like they had no place witnessing this intimate moment between their monarchs. Jerry and Daryl didn't need to set the boundaries for the people already knew them. There was the occasional glance from a few of them, particularly those close to the pair such as Nabila, but that was the extent of it.

The cry hadn't just shocked the people, but Ezekiel too. It took him by surprise. Apart from the occasional whimper Carol had been almost completely silent up until now, which indicated to him that something had changed. Things were progressing. She turned her entire body so that her head was buried in his chest, muffling the sounds that she produced whilst also making her feel closer to him. His arms were wrapped around her, rubbing her back and whispering words of encouragement in her ear so that only the two of them knew what was being said. They continued to sway, the movement calming both of them, only pausing when Carol felt as though she couldn't physically move without something going horribly wrong. That was when she would bury her head in Ezekiel's chest, feeling so small when his grip tightened on her. It was only five contractions later when she spoke in a whisper, breaking the silence between them. Her voice was filled with panic and fear and it broke Ezekiel's heart. He never wanted to see her like this, but at the same time he could see all the trust she held for him and it made him feel strong, most importantly loved.

"I feel like I have to start pushing. When the next one comes. But what if I'm wrong?"

"You won't be. You need to trust your judgement and instinct to bring her safely into this world. I sure do, so if you feel like you have to push then push. I'm here for you"

"I'm scared Zeke"

"I know My Love, I know. But just focus on meeting her, on holding her. You've already done amazingly and I have no doubt you will continue to do so"

"You're not scared? What if something goes wrong?"

"Shitless My Love. I don't think I've ever been more terrified" he said, though light heartedly and with a hint of a chuckle, making her do the same, her mirth being followed with much more pain than his which caused a grimace to spread across her face. "But at the same time I have faith in you to deliver her safely and I will be beside you the entire time. Just do what you think is best and it most likely will be. OK?"

She nodded though never uttered a word. Her arms had made their way round his neck for support and she was focused intently on her breathing, though he could tell that she was simply preparing for what would come next by the way her grip hadn't yet tightened. When the next contraction came, he knew.

Her grip tightened like usual and her eyes were shut with concentration, Her stature was slightly different and rather than making noise she was silent, focusing all her energy on pushing. When it was over she let out an exhausted breath, her chest rising at a slightly faster pace and her breathing much deeper than before. Her whole body was wracked with fatigue due to the events of the day and she had forgotten that she could be in this much pain. But then she looked up at Ezekiel and found his loved and trust filled eyes staring down at her starting to brim with tears, the greatest smile on his face. When the next contraction came, and the next and the next, she focused on him. His breathing, his strength, his love he held for her. All of it combined gave her all the help she could have wished for and then some.

At some point during the whole ordeal he noticed the way her lips upturned slightly, showing some semblance of a smile though her eyes were still closed and her head still slightly bowed. It was a smile that only an exhausted, pained body could produce. One of relief but yet of excitement and happiness at the same time. It was a welcome reassurance after the recent noises of increasing pain she had been producing, each one breaking Ezekiel's heart that bit more. He supposed it was a good thing; it meant that something about what she was feeling was different and, while painful, that also meant that things were progressing as they should be. That's what he had told himself anyway. Not getting any answers to the many questions he had in his head left scenarios in his head that he didn't even want to think about. Between each contraction she wouldn't speak and he wouldn't press her to do so, letting her lead them in what they were doing. Carol would often lean into him, using his sturdy frame as support, but she kept the silence between them that was only broken by the occasional muffled chatter of the people and her shaky breaths. When she did speak Ezekiel couldn't have been more grateful, though what she said certainly wasn't what he was expecting. What he was expecting he did not know, but this certainly was not it.

"Give me...your hand" she panted, still recovering from the last contraction.

"What?"

"All this I'm doing for you and you won't even give me your damn hand?"

Her words sounded bitter, almost like he was being scolded, but the exhausted smile that still graced her lips told him that she was anything but. Knowing that they didn't have much time between contractions, he quickly gave up his hand and she guided it past his shirt she was wearing and towards her centre. He gasped as he felt that her body had taken a dome like shape indicating the crowning of their daughter's head. She tilted her head back to stare up at him, fresh tears forming in both their eyes as huge matching smiles greeted their faces. Ezekiel leant down to place loving kiss to her forehead, not caring how sweaty and hot she was. To him it was just a sign of the hard work she was doing for their daughter, for their family. He pulled away and tucked one of the many tendrils of hair that had escaped behind her ear, her face becoming a picture of pain and focus once more. He knelt beside her, her hands going to his shoulders for support now that they couldn't be wrapped around his neck. The next contraction was stronger in order to aid the delivery of the head, but it left Carol with little strength and doubt that she could hold herself up for much longer. Ezekiel could sense that she was beginning to struggle, his beacon finally cracking with everything happening to her. He never stood up as he didn't want to risk anything happening at this crucial stage, but at the same time he had to help.

"My Love, are you alright?"

"I can't...I don't think I can stand up anymore. I don't trust myself. I don't want to hurt her"

The motherly protection was coming off of her in waves at the prospect that she may in someway harm their daughter. Though it was a struggle, Ezekiel guided her to kneel on the floor just in time for the next contraction. He could see that with every second she felt as though she was struggling, it was another second where her confidence in herself decreased and they couldn't have that. Now that she was on the floor, on blankets of course for Ezekiel wouldn't let her on the cold wet floor, she felt slightly stronger, like she could finish this. Or maybe it was the look on Ezekiel's face when, with every contraction, their daughter was one step closer to being born.

"Her head is out My Queen! You're doing so well. Not long now and it'll be over"

"Over? Oh sunshine, the hard bit has yet to come"

He smiled up at her as she bore down on him, using his strength to guide her in what she was doing. After the head it only took three more contractions until the shoulders were delivered, the rest of the body quickly following effortlessly. She was here and she was perfect.

But she was silent and still.

Carol wasted no time in picking her up from Ezekiel's arms and blowing on her face, trying to get her to breathe. She repeated pleas, begging her to breathe, to move, to do anything that indicated life but to no avail. Ezekiel left her side and rushed to the few supplies they had managed to scrounge up before leaving The Kingdom, his heart beating faster when he realised what he was looking for had been moved. His anger rose but he remained calm for his daughter's sake and found what he needed after only a few more seconds. He hurried back to their sides, kneeling before Carol as she handed their daughter over. He took their seemingly lifeless daughter in his arms, clearing the mucus from her airways and making it easier for her to breathe. He continued to blow on her face just had Carol had done, their daughter firmly sandwiched between her parents, both of whom had tears in their eyes at her silence. Carol had to use one hand for her own support, but the one that was free rested on their daughter's chest. Relief washed through them as their daughter's cried filled the great hall, utterly protesting being in the cold.

Through heavy breathing they smiled, Ezekiel almost laughing out of pure joy and relief. They let her cry as they gathered their bearings; she was curled up in one of Ezekiel's arms between his chest and a blanket that Carol had draped over his shoulder, protecting her from the outside world, so with the never ending heat that radiated off his body mixed with the fires that were still relatively large she was protected from the cold. She continued to cry but once another blanket was placed and tucked over her she calmed down, eventually curling into herself more and falling asleep for the time being.

Ezekiel's other arm wrapped around Carol and pulled her close, making it so that their daughter was encircled by them. Carol rested her forehead on Ezekiel's, forming an arch over their daughter, though her free hand never left its place on her chest. Even through the added layer of the blanket she could still feel the rise and fall that indicated their daughter's breathing as she slept.

"She's breathing. She's fine. She's here", he muttered, as if saying it made it more true.

"She's tiny" Carol finished, making them both smile. Despite being two weeks overdue, their daughter was smaller than most of the other babies that had been delivered at The Kingdom, and she was only made to seem smaller nestled in Ezekiel's arms.

"It seems as though your efforts to get her to grow were in vain My Love"

"Because she listens to her father" she said, raising an eyebrow at him, her eyes drawn to their daughter who had begun to show signs that she was waking up.

"Would you have her any other way?"

"No, She's perfect. So hand her over mister. The way I see it is I've just done all the hard work only to have you claim my prize"

"Did you just refer to our daughter as a prize?"

"Yes. It's one of the nicer names I could think to call her at the moment, and you for that matter. Now give her here" she rebuked, making the smiles grow on their faces even more.

Ezekiel handed their daughter over, returning with blankets to clean and wrap up their daughter who could not yet correctly regulate her body temperature. Before wrapping her up Ezekiel clamped and cut the cord, handing her back to Carol. Without knowing what was happening Carol found herself being lifted up off the ground and into Ezekiel's arms, carried bridal style over towards the back of one of the wagons that had been emptied out recently, hence why there was no one already in it. Carol wondered if it had been done that way specially for her and their daughter and was thankful if it had been. They were more enclosed and hidden away from the people, giving them the privacy she so desperately craved

Once he was certain his girls were comfortable Ezekiel left their side to clean up the worst of the mess they had left in their wake. He thought he heard their daughter begin to fuss, which he most likely did, for when he returned he was happy to see that she was already eagerly taking her first meal. Ezekiel sat beside them in the wagon, leaning against one side of it with his legs outstretched before him. He had covered the opening with a blanket meaning that they were completely enclosed, just the three of them. There were only a few spaces for light to enter the makeshift room meaning that it was a little dark, but that only added to the intimacy and privacy that they were glad to have in these first few moments. Carol leant her head on Ezekiel's shoulder though her eyes never left their daughter as though she didn't dare take her eyes off of her in case something happened.

Though biased, Ezekiel though his daughter was perfect. She had inherited his colouring and a sprinkling of hair not quite as dark as his but certainly darker than Carol's. Despite her still having random patches of blood and vernix over her, she was beautiful, and when he traced his finger over her cheek her skin was soft and warm to the touch. When she opened her eyes he could see that she had also inherited those from him, though by the way her little face scrunched up it was evident that she would come to develop the facial expressions he had only ever seen in his wife's face. He secretly hoped she would come to inherit her mother's pout that could get him to do anything she asked, though if his wish came true he had a suspicion that his days of saying no were long gone.

"Our Princess is perfect My Queen"

"Yeah, I think I like her too despite all the pain she caused me"

Ezekiel chuckled, Carol able to feel it rumbling through his entire body. He directed his gaze to where hers lay:their daughter. He could see her hand move into the air, seemingly grasping at nothing. A warm smile greeted his face at every movement and every little noise she made.

"Give her your finger. She may hold on to it"

"You think?"

"Maybe. I think she wants to be close to you, annoyed that I'm the only one that can feed her. If you could she'd want you to, you know that right? She's such a daddy's girl"

Carol rolled her eyes at him before resettling her gaze on their daughter. Ezekiel outstretched his hand, placing his finger in his daughter's palm and gasping slightly when she held on. Despite her hand looking so small wrapped around just one of his fingers, her grip was strong and Ezekiel would be damned if he tried to move of his own accord rather than waiting for her. It seemed as though his days of saying no were already far behind him. Tears began to form in his eyes at the way their daughter held on as if she already knew he would protect her, the love he felt at that very moment threatening to make his heart beat out of his chest.

"She still needs a name" he said softly, not wanting to disturb anything that was happening and also wanting a guarantee that no one would hear them.

"We never did come up with one did we? I suppose now is a good a time as any. She can't be Princess for the rest of her life"

"Well, she is the Princess of The Kingdom". Carol dug her elbow into his side gently making their daughter grunt at the disruption of her meal. "Alright, alright. If you don't like that idea then how about a name that truly represents her size yet her strength-"

"If you say Thumbelina you're getting out of this wagon"

He laughed more whole heartedly, glad to see her smiling at his teasing. Carol thought their daughter would have startled at the sudden noise and small jolt given for that was exactly how Sophia had reacted when she first heard someone laugh the way Ezekiel had done. She was surprised when no reaction was given at all, but she supposed that she would have been use to it after all the time Ezekiel had dedicated to bonding with her whilst she was still in the womb.

Carol could feel their daughter start to fall asleep in her arms, finally satisfied that she had gotten her fill. She remained laid there for a while before being handed over to Ezekiel who was deep in thought, quite obviously wondering whether or not to speak what was on his mind. Their daughter instantly settled in her father's arms, seeming even smaller now that she was with him. To anyone who didn't know them it would appear as though with one wrong move their daughter would be seriously harmed, whereas in reality being in her father's arms was probably the safest she would be. After buttoning up her shirt and pulling the blanket further round herself Carol spoke, resting her chin on Ezekiel's shoulder so that she could look up at him. Ezekiel turned his head in her direction, smirking wickedly before planting a soft kiss on her lips.

"You wanna tell me what you're thinking?"

"Yeah, you sure she's mine? Because her hair would say otherwise". He grinned at her and raised an eyebrow, knowing he was teasing her in a way that only they would understand. When Carol had handed over their daughter he had noticed that, in amongst the dark hair she had inherited from him, there were lighter streaks that could only be described as auburn. It was unclear whether they would fade with age but they were there for now, and that was enough for him to tease her.

"The willingness to make things as awkward as possible would suggest that, yes, she is your daughter. Though she has arrived just in time to line up with that one night thing with Jerry..."

She forced a questioning look on her face as if she was truly trying to figure out who's daughter Ezekiel was now holding. Carol looked up at Ezekiel to see him trying to supress laughter but beginning to fail miserably. She buried her head into his arm to stifle her own amusement before resuming her previous position, glad and not at all surprised to see that he was still smiling. Ever since things had progressed and she started pushing she didn't think she had yet to catch his smile falter.

"Milady, you should not joke about these things. If Jerry were to find out I think he'd die from the shock" he warned, smiling all the while and suppressing the newest bought of laughter.

"I know, but it's just too good to pass up. And you know where she gets her hair from. I'd say we've been together long enough and I've shared enough embarrassing stories for you to know that. Now, are you going to tell me what you're really thinking?"

She could see that he had yet to speak what was truly on his mind but she also knew that, with a little prompting, he would tell her what it was sooner rather than later. Because he would tell her eventually. He always would. Carol just wanted to know now rather than having to wait for him to speak his mind.

"Well, we may not have chosen a name but Henry did"

Carol flinched slightly at the mention of their son which made Ezekiel instantly regret saying it. Her hand made it's way to their daughter's face, running the back of her finger along her cheek as she slept. This caused her to make a small grunt type noise in her sleep which practically made Ezekiel melt inside and allowed a single tear to fall silently down Carol's cheek. Without wiping it away, Carol turned back to Ezekiel and asked.

"What name did Henry pick? And when did he tell you?"

Instead of flinching the memory of their son, she smiled. It still hurt. From her experience with Sophia and his experience with Benjamin, they both knew it would never stop hurting. But this was the first time she could think about him without only feeling hatred and vengeance. This time she could see past those and feel happy at all the memories they had collected over the years.

"We were talking about it at the fair. He confessed to me that he already knew. About her"

"How?"

"Well, not specifically that she was a her but that you were pregnant. He came to visit only for a day or so, and when he entered our room hoping to find you he saw you wearing one of your shirts instead of mine. He managed to sneak away without you noticing and never asked any questions, knowing that we would tell him when the time was right"

"And that'll explain the way he acted around me, as if one step wrong would hurt me in some way. But we should have told him sooner. He deserved to know he was going to be a big brother"

"Do not feel bad about it My Love. Even in his youth Henry could see the dangers this pregnancy carried and figured that's why we didn't tell him. Besides, he thought it fun to have a secret, even if it was one he didn't keep. As soon as he arrived back at Hilltop he told Lydia. He couldn't wait to have a younger sibling and care for it as Benjamin had cared for him, trying to protect him from the world and making his childhood seem like just that. A childhood, where you could relax and forget about the problems of the world even if for a day. He even said he and Lydia had discussed names. If you didn't know any better you would have thought it was their child, not ours" he chuckled slightly, remembering the enthusiasm with which Henry had spoken with when they had had this conversation only a matter of months ago. Lydia had joined them on this journey to Alexandria as she had begun to call The Kingdom her home, and she was one of the people they most wanted to introduce their daughter to when the time came. "In the end, for a girl, they came up with Violet. The flower symbolises faith which is what her very existence very much brought the people. Even they could see that"

When Ezekiel tore his eyes away from their daughter to look once more at Carol he saw that the tears were now falling more freely, though the warm smile spread across her face was enough to reassure him that not all the tears were because of pain. Some where, they may always be, but some were happiness at the story Ezekiel told, allowing her to see even more of the fond memories she had willed herself to forget over the past month. Now though, now she could see that they were worth more than most things in this world and would do anything to grasp onto them.

"Violet. I like it. It suits her perfectly"

Having woken up momentarily, Violet fidgeted in Ezekiel's arms, making small noises as if protesting the lack of title that came with being The King's daughter.

"My Queen, it seems as though you are forgetting something. She is a Princess and you must address her as such"

"Fine then. Princess Violet. Better?"

"Perfect"

Ezekiel wiped away the remainder of her tears as she smiled up at him, afterwards placing his free arm around her shoulders and pulling her in close, noticing the way she winced slightly in doing so.

"Are you alright?"

She looked up at him. To him, Carol looked tired and so small leant next to him, blanket wrapped round her with her hands wrapped around her stomach beneath the blanket. It was to be expected and in some ways it only made him love her more, for all of it was a testament of what she had been through for their family.

"Yeah. Just afterpains. With Sophia I got them up until week six after the birth, and they hurt like hell. But they're worth it. For her"

She brought out one of her hands from beneath the blanket and ran her finger along the bridge of Violet's nose, making her scrunch up her face in distain. This made Carol chuckle slightly before returning her attention back to Ezekiel, wanting to know as much as she possibly could about their daughter.

"She has a name, but now she needs a birthday. What date is it? I know you and Jerry keep track of the days"

Ezekiel looked down at the sleeping baby in his arms, his face a look of focus as he wracked his brain for the answer. He smiled warmly when he finally remembered what date it was, but for more than one reason.

"My Love, I do believe that today is the 25th December"

"You mean...?"

"Christmas Day. Yep. Our little Christmas miracle"

"Oh good Lord. Of course she'd have a flare for the dramatics and the completely fantasy filled wonder"

"Do you think she'll be a dreamer or a realist?"

"What? Where did this come from?". He shrugged his shoulders, truthfully not knowing where it had come from. Instead of answering her question Ezekiel just repeated his thought as if to solidify it in both their minds.

"Dreamer or realist? Me or you?"

"I hope she's a dreamer like you. It's much nicer than being the realist, trust me. But I can dream now too, thanks to you"

"It may be nicer, but it's much more practical to be a realist. And they're needed to ground the dreamers, heaven knows that's the effect you had on me. Or maybe she'll be both? A perfect midpoint between the two of us"

"Perhaps" she said, unsuccessfully stifling a yawn that had been threatening for quite some time now.

Ezekiel noticed as much and shuffled slightly so that Carol could lay her head on his lap as a sort of pillow, making it slightly more comfortable than being sat up against him. She saw he did as much and took the offer. It felt strange to her; after Sophia was born she had to be on high alert at all times in case Ed ever decided to harm her, but here she was able to rest knowing that Violet would be safe in Ezekiel's arms. She also knew that if Violet or anyone else truly needed her, Ezekiel would wake her so that she could help. Carol positioned herself so that she was facing Ezekiel and Violet rather than having her back towards them.

"Are you sure? I can stay awake if you want"

"No, you go to sleep. You've earned it. If anyone needs you then I'll wake you up, deal?"

"Maybe. Or you could let me sleep. Unless it's little miss of course"

"Well I think she could probably wake you up herself, but sure. If she needs you I'll wake you"

Carol closed her eyes fully intent on falling asleep when her attempts were interrupted by Ezekiel blindly searching for her hand beneath the covers. Instead of waiting, she found him, slipping her hand into his and intertwining their fingers. He brought her hand up to his lips and placed a soft kiss on each knuckle, only then letting it fall free which then allowed her to pull it back beneath the blanket.

"What was that for?" she enquired, her eyes now open and staring at him questioningly. To her she looked like a hot mess and she felt awful, though Ezekiel was still looking at her as if she held all the beauty in the world. And that was because she did to him, and then some. He always looked at her that way. Ever since that day they met up until now, the way he looked at her sometimes had her believe that she was beautiful and she was able to see herself the way he did, one of the many ways he had made her love him even more. He could make her believe in herself once more, slowly stitching up every wound Ed had left in his wake.

"I love you, you know that?"

"I look dreadful. You must be mad"

"Maybe I am My Love, maybe I am" he said, tucking a stray tendril of hair behind her ear. "Or maybe you've just given me, given us, everything I could have dreamed of and so much more. If you think you look dreadful then so be it, but I think you look even more beautiful than the day we met. I can see the work you have put in for this to happen and it only makes me love you more. Now go to sleep. She may be behaving perfectly now, but I've heard somewhere that they don't stay like this for long"

"And if she's developed her father's set of lungs than God help us all. I never knew someone could shout with such passion and volume until I met you, when you gave your speeches"

He laughed at her sleepy expression mixed with the hint of teasing her voice held. It didn't take long for sleep to claim her which wasn't surprising after everything that had happened. Even before today she had been in some sort of permanently exhausted state and sleep couldn't be more welcome than at that very moment.

Ezekiel just sat keeping watch over his girls and listening to his surroundings. He could hear the small noises both Carol and Violet made in sleep, now realising how similar they really were. Outside of the wagon he could hear singing, chatter and the sound of children playing. All of it was filled with joy and if he listened close enough he could hear some of what was being said, and from what he heard most of it was about them and The Princess's birth. His smile widened; the people had been filled with fresh hope for the journey ahead, though it would have to be delayed for a while whilst Carol began to recover. Once she felt as though they could continue with the journey they would do so, though they would have to figure out how they were going to keep Violet warm now that she was here and they had forgotten most of her clothes back at The Kingdom.

In amongst the joy there were occasional warnings from parents to children, telling them not to approach the wagon Ezekiel, Carol and Violet were in. Every so often he would hear footsteps slowly approaching accompanied by hushed giggles, which would be promptly followed by harsh scolding's from parents. Sometimes the children would comply instantly, but now that they had been silent for some time the children would start to protest more often, confident in the fact that they wouldn't be caught for they thought that their monarchs were asleep. Eventually the children would give in, and Ezekiel couldn't be more thankful that their parents insisted on keeping them away. It made it more peaceful for them and gave a higher chance of Violet and Carol actually staying asleep. Ezekiel himself was close to following his girls in slumber when the wagon received a small jolt, the action followed promptly by the shouting of angry parents.

Carol sat bolt upright scanning the area for danger and Violet awoke too because of the unexpected movement and noise outside.

"Is everything alright? What happened?"

"My Love everything is fine. You can go back to sleep if that is what you need. It was just over excited children, the shouting of their parents and I'm pretty sure I heard Daryl aid in their scoldings, though his carried much more swearing than anyone else's"

She smiled a little, clear signs of her already relaxing once more taking over her body. It was only a matter of time before fatigue would be winning the battle against her willingness to stay awake, if only Violet weren't crying for everything she was worth.

"She's crying. You want me to have her?"

"No, we'll be fine, won't we baby girl?" he said, momentarily turning his attention to Violet. "You go back to sleep. I really need to stretch my legs so she can come with me. Unless of course you want me to leave her with you, or you want me to stay"

"If you need to stretch your legs then go, and I'm one hundred percent confident that you can take care of her and protect her. Just bring her back if she needs me and don't go introducing her to anyone. And I mean anyone. I'd like to be there for that, if you wouldn't mind"

He nodded in understanding before leaving the back of the wagon. The sanctuary had been kept warm so there was no need to worry about Violet being too cold, and they had successfully created a barrier between them and the people so that he wouldn't be seen. Obviously the people could now hear her cries more clearly which prompted hopeful chatter that they would get to see the new princess, but after a short while it soon died out as the realisation spread amongst them that the monarchs would be out of action for perhaps a day or so, and if not Ezekiel then definitely Carol.

It seemed years before Violet finally settled down. Ezekiel checked everything, and once discovering that there was nothing that needed doing started to have doubts in himself. What if he wasn't cut out to be a father? But Carol sure thought he was going to be a great father, and if she thought so then it had to be true. And he simply refused to admit defeat and trudge back into the wagon.

"Come on now Princess. We can't be waking Mama now can we? You've caused her enough pain today as it is. What'll get you to calm down, eh? What about a story?"

He continued calming their daughter who seemed to be finally quieting down. Once she had completely fallen silent she simply stared up at him, her eyes wide as if she was waiting for what he was going to do next. Her hands had escaped from the blanket and were reaching up towards him yet seemingly grasping at air. Ezekiel brought Violet up to his face and planted a soft kiss on her cheek, making her squirm slightly at the unfamiliar sensation of his beard scraping against her skin. When he brought her away from his face he could both feel and see that she had kept hold of one of his dreads, clinging onto it in one of her tiny hands. He transferred her hand from his hair to his finger, able to hold her in the crook of one arm, giving him full motion of his head back. Not that he used it. His gaze never left her, staring at the way she still looked as though she was expecting something. She made a noise at him, almost as if she was trying to communicate, which only made his now permanent smile even wider.

"I know, I promised you a story. Let's go back to mama and we'll think of one, won't we Princess? I think you're the best thing that ever happened to me, right up there with your mama. See, and she said that she had forgotten my five year anniversary present. You may technically be nine months late, but even so I think I need to up my game. All your mama got was a throne" he joked, chuckling slightly at the way her eyes caught the light, making it appear to him as though she were laughing at what he said. It was only in his head, but it was magical all the same. His daughter was here and she couldn't be more perfect. His mind flashed forward to all the milestones he couldn't wait to hit but at the same time didn't want to come for that meant she would be growing up. He pushed those thought away at the noises coming from the small squirming bundle in his arms.

Ezekiel liked to think that the small noises she made in return to his question was her means of answering, though in his head he knew that they were nothing more than her small body slowly becoming adjusted to her new surroundings and the new sensations around her. He clambered back into the wagon, happy to see Carol still outstretched on her side beneath the blanket fast asleep. Ezekiel positioned himself so that he too was on his side, his head propped up on his hand so he could watch over his girls, with Violet securely between them. One of his hands rested on her chest whilst his thumb rubbed backwards and forwards on her side. He did it out of habit. When he and Carol lay together he would always do it if his hand was resting on her back, or more recently when it was resting on the swell of her stomach feeling their daughter kick inside her. It was a thing of comfort and he now found himself doing it sub consciously to his daughter, it having a similar effect on her as it did on her mother for she was beginning to become ever more peaceful and content with every second that passed.

He wrapped his mind for a story, but settled on one that he had never told before. Why read fictional fairy stories when they had the most perfect one all around them?

"Once upon a time, in a world unlike any other, there lived a fair maiden called Carol, though you call her mama. She had lived through many downs whilst still managing to find happiness, primarily for her daughter Sophia. Your older sister. One day Morgan brought her into me-"

"Correction. Morgan brought me into a room with a strange man claiming to be The King, his faithful steward, and his pet tiger. That wasn't you, that wasn't the man I married"

"Um, spoilers. She doesn't know that happens yet"

"Sorry, sorry. Carry on"

Carol had woken when Ezekiel started talking, not because of him but because she could just sense that he and Violet had returned and something in her had willed her to wake up to witness whatever what was about to happen. She was glad she had woken up, for she wouldn't have wanted to miss this for the world. She shifted so that she was mirroring Ezekiel, her hand taking place atop his on their daughter's chest.

"Where were we? Oh yes. As soon as she lay eyes on The King, she thought he was insane. He clearly didn't know the dangers of this world for he and his people were far to sheltered. But when The King lay eyes on your mama, well he knew instantly that he couldn't let her go. He couldn't lose her. If he admitted it, he was in love. He could see through her mask and none of the possibilities of what she had done that ran through his mind made him doubt his love. Not once. If we jump ahead, when she finally confided in him, what actually happened never changed his opinion for the worse"

He could see tears starting to silently fall down Carol's cheeks as she remembered what she had told him those many years ago. She told Ezekiel all about the sickness that swept through the prison and her part to play in it, all about Lizzie and Mika, as well as what happened when the wolves infiltrated Alexandrian walls and then when her and Maggie were taken captive by saviours. There were many more and all of them flooding back to her at once was too much, and then with Ezekiel telling their daughter the story of them mixed with the slight exhaustion and hormones the tears fell fast and free. Ezekiel paused the story and removed his hand from between hers and Violet's chest. He brought it up to cup her cheek, pulling her close while he too leaned forward to close the gap between them and place a kiss first on her forehead, then on the tip of her nose and finally on her lips. He wasn't the only one that needed grounding sometimes.

When they pulled away, Ezekiel moved his hand to intertwine their fingers, once again resting their hands on Violet's chest to give them the comfort they needed after what had happened immediately following the birth. The position very much reminded both of them of the position they had taken when Carol had first woken that morning, except rather than their hands being on her stomach they were resting on their daughter who was finally here, making small noises as she appeared to be listening to what Ezekiel had to say.

"I never once doubted my love for your mama, little one. I never have. My love has changed and grown, but it has never faltered. Because Princess, before you, your mama was the only person to see through my mask of The King and see me, the man I truly was. She made me feel real, not just a fiction. Real"

"Because you were real. To me. To her. To us"

_THE END_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all of you who have read this and given me support throughout this entire process. I hope you enjoyed reading the ending just as much as I enjoyed writing it.
> 
> I will be doing a follow up, but I don't yet know the specifics. It will either be a straight continuation, or it will solely focus on milestones/big events in Violet, Carol and Ezekiel's lives, therefore missing out everything in between. Comment which one you think you would prefer to see, and also if there are any specific moments you would like to see leave those too and I'll try my hardest to include them. Thank you again!

**Author's Note:**

> What did you think? I think this and the last chapter were my favourite to write.  
Any comments about anything would be greatly appreciated!  
I did contemplate doing a more detailed scene, but I didn't feel as though it would have fit. What do you think?


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